Stray Arrow
by FireEdge
Summary: FE7. When a pegasus knight's heart is struck by a stray arrow, what will happen? WilFlorina.
1. Chapter 1

Since I am extremely bored and have had this stupid idea stuck in my head since I first played Fire Emblem. I am writing a romance!

Guy: AHHHH!!!

FireEdge: Shut up! I've written romance before, and no one's flamed me yet!

Guy: Yeah, but that wasn't in Fire Emblem!

FireEdge: So? What's the difference?!

Guy: Big difference! Mondo difference!

FireEdge: If you don't be quiet and be a nice little muse, I will send the penguins after you!

Guy: Eep! Me good! Me good!

FireEdge: Such stupidity! Hehehe. Anyway, please review!

Note: My tactician actually doesn't represent me in any way. I just made her up. Thought I'd add that, just in case anyone was wondering.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem. Stray Arrow 

Chapter 1 

            Seeing an archer less than a few feet in front of her, Florina slowly edged away from the wall. When she thought she was far away enough that the auburn-haired archer couldn't hear her, she yelled.

            "Lyn!"

            "Florina! What is it?!" Lyn ran up to the frightened pegasus knight.        

"What should I do? There's an archer!!!"

"What? Where?" Asked Lyn looking frantically this way and that. Spotting the archer, Lyn much to her surprise, laughed.

            "Oh, that's Wil." Said Lyn with a sigh of relief. She called the archer over. At a first glance, the archer seemed to be a cheery sort of guy with friendly brown eyes that twinkled with happiness. But men were men. She was still afraid of him. Especially if they had a bow.

            "Hi! You're one of Lyn's friends?" He greeted. Florina automatically froze, but made an effort to at least say hello in return. But the words just wouldn't come out.

            "Um… … …"

            "What… What is it? Are you unwell?" His face took on a look of worry as the young girl's face paled. Lyn smiled gently.

            "I'm sorry Wil. Her name is Florina. She's timid around men, and you… you've got a bow." The lord explained. Wil's smile returned.

            "Oh! I see! You must be a pegasus knight! I apologize for frightening you, but I do understand your fear of bows."

            "I… um… …I'm sorry… Even looking at a… bow… frightens me ever so much…" She managed to stammer out. Wil smiled reassuringly.

            "Of course, I understand. But you should really only fear the enemy's archers, not your own." Florina nodded.

"Yes… of course…" The next few battles Florina engaged in went smoothly. But when Florina attempted to take out an enemy mercenary, she was unaware of an archer sneaking up on her from behind the wall. When she pulled her slim lance out of the defeated mercenary, she barely had time to see the oncoming arrow. She let out a scream. Her pegasus shied away at his master's yell and they luckily dodged the arrow. But to Florina's horror, the archer was nocking another arrow to his bow and was ready to let it fly. Florina wasn't sure that she could dodge the next assault. Her lower lip quivered as she closed her eyes and prepared herself for the oncoming blow. But it never came. Opening her eyes, she saw that the archer was dead. She let out a sigh.

            "Are you alright?" Florina started when she heard a voice address her. Whirling around on her saddle, she saw Wil standing on the low wall beside her. She realized that he must have killed the archer.

            "Y-yes… T-thank you…"

            "That's all right! We're on the same team after all! That's what friends do for each other!" He nodded with a smile. Jumping down from his perch he ran to their tactician, to receive his next orders. Still a little shaken up from what happened, she flew near the back with the tactician, Elfaiya. Turning to look at the pegasus knight, Elfaiya smiled.

            "You okay? I'm sorry if that gave you a scare. I didn't see that archer coming. I thought you were out of his range." The tactician smiled sheepishly. "It's a good thing Wil reacted so quickly. I don't know what we'd do without him." Florina nodded slowly. She liked the tactician. Elfaiya was perhaps no more than one or two years older than her, she was funny and she was always nice to her. But Elfaiya seemed to blame herself for every little mistake she made. You might describe her as almost a perfectionist.

            "It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known."

            "But I _should _have known!" Elfaiya frowned. "I don't want to get any of you injured. If I did, I wouldn't be much of a tactician, would I?"

            "It's okay. Really. Wil was there. I'm fine now." She tried to reassure the girl.

            "Hm… I'm going to make it up to you. Here, take this money and fly yourself down to the armory. You could buy yourself a new iron lance with it."

            "Huh?! But I can't do that! I already have a lance! I don't need a new one!" Cried Florina in surprise. Elfaiya shook her head.

            "Well, the enemies are bound to get stronger and your slim lance won't do any good if it isn't strong enough. Anyway, it will break soon and the new lance will serve as a spare."

            "All-all right." By the time Florina returned from the armory, Lyn was just finishing off the brigand, Migal. Florina flew down next to Lyn. Now that the fighting was done, Florina explained to Lyn why she was here.

            "Florina, don't cry…" Soothed Lyn as the girl started crying. She knew that mercenary bands had a lot of men in them, but she really wanted to be a full-fledged pegasus knight. 

            "Yes! There's no reason to give up your dream!" A man in green armor came up to them. "Lovely Florina! I have the most brilliant idea!"

            "Sain!" Another man, this time in red armor, joined them. A scowl was spread on his face.

            "You should come with us! With the addition of Wil here, we're a fine group of soldiers, and freelance to boot!" Sain smiled. A surprised Wil then came up behind Florina.

            "Wait, did you just include me?"

            "Of course! We were destined to meet here! It's fate! Come now, Lyndis's band of mercenaries is as good a training group as you will find anywhere!" Sain declared with a flourish of his arms.

            "Um yes… But Florina, will you come with us?" Asked Lyn.

            "Travel with you, Lyn? Truly?" Florina perked up. "I would be so… so happy!"

            "Fantastic!" Exclaimed Sain. Coming up to Florina, he continued to speak. "Beauteous Florina! I am a Knight of Caelin. My name is Sain…"

"Eeek!" She cried, suddenly realizing that he was extremely close to her. She jumped back to hide behind Lyn. "Stay back! Don't get so close." Sain just sighed in content at her reaction.

"Ah… Beautiful, and yet so modest!" Much to her embarrassment, Wil and Elfaiya started to laugh as Sain continued to shower her with phrases of her beauty. Kent could only watch in exasperation and Lyn just shook her head at what all of this was leading too.

FireEdge: Hah! I did it, you loser!

Guy: Shut up! Just because you typed up one measly chapter doesn't make you any good!

FireEdge: Fine, then let's see what the reviews say, shall we?

Guy: If you get any!

FireEdge: Please review, so I can rub them into Guy's face! Thank you!

FireEdge


	2. Chapter 2

FireEdge: Hahaha! I got reviews! LOSER! I win! Now give me my 50$!

Guy: Arrg…

FireEdge: Hehehe… Well, thank you all for reviewing! Now here's the second chapter!

Reviews:

SniperR: Wow, thanks! But it's harder to put exact words, considering that Wil and Florina never talk! And I keep on going ahead of myself! :P

Rockie1: Yes, I know! I was so shattered when I first found out that they couldn't get one!

Ed, the Master Tactician: I've seen some of your fics but I haven't gotten around to reading them. Thanks for the review!

Random man: Thanks!

Inferno-Hero: Yes, actually it is Wil/Florina, in case some of you haven't figured it out yet!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Stray Arrow 

Chapter 2 

Florina waited with Lyn as Wil and Sain went to scout for a place to rest for the night. She was thinking about how lucky she was to actually be able to travel with Lyn. Then Wil and Sain returned.

"Milady Lyndis! Wil and I have found a place to stay, even if it's just a shabby run-down castle." Sain frowned. Wil shook his head. They had obviously been arguing about the campsite.

"It'll be fine. Who wants to sleep indoors on such a beautiful night like this? I'd much prefer to sleep under the stars." Replied Lyn. Florina nodded.

"As long as I'm by Lyn's side, I'll be fine."

"Don't worry, ladies! You have me to protect you if anything happens!" Sain exclaimed, smiling.

"They'll have _both_ of us, Sain." Added Kent. Walking inside the abandoned fortress, they were met by a young woman. After Lyn finished talking to her, they found out that her name was Natalie. She had come from her village, looking for her husband. His name was Dorcas. Florina thought that Natalie was very brave, to come out all by herself just to look for her love. She wasn't sure if she could ever have enough courage to muster that. Suddenly Kent came running in.

"Milady! The bandits! They're back!" He informed. Lyn loosened her sword in its scabbard immediately.

"We have to protect Natalie at all cost, until they retreat! She can't move far with her leg. So guard all the entrances carefully!" Sain jumped and swung onto his horse, pulling out an iron sword and rode with Kent to southern entrance. Grabbing his bow, Wil gave the string a test. Pulling it to his ear and releasing it before nocking an arrow and running to guard the cracked wall to the east. Lyn was sent to watch the west entrance.

"Florina! Go back Wil up! If I need further use of you and your pegasus, be ready!" Elfaiya instructed, before she turned to give orders to Kent and Sain. Flying over to the wall where Wil stood, she perched her pegasus on a brace, peering over the top of the walls.

"Do you see anything?" Wil asked. They could hear the clash of swords and axes from the south side. Florina started and hesitated before speaking. Despite his social nature, she still found it hard to talk to him or any other man.

"Um… there's a brigand… and a mercenary." She replied. Wil nodded. Turning his attention to the brigand, he let his arrow fly. They could hear the bandit curse as an arrow struck him. But he wasn't dead yet. He prepared to shoot another arrow, when Florina saw something glint in the darkness. She immediately recognized the tip of an arrow. An archer. Expecting the archer to aim at her she quickly moved out of range. But the archer had not seemed to notice her, it was aiming at Wil. She opened her mouth to warn him but it was too late. The enemy's arrow flew true and embedded itself into Wil's shooting arm.

"Arrg!" He grunted as he pulled the arrow out. The enemy archer smiled and aimed another arrow at Wil.

"Wil! Watch out!" She managed to yell. He tried to reach for an arrow, but he winced when he was unable to pull back the bowstring. Florina closed her eyes, unable to watch. Suddenly she heard something whiz past her. Opening her eyes, she saw a flash of steel. Then the archer was dead. Both Florina and Wil turned their heads in surprise. The hand axe that had saved Wil's life, returned neatly into its owner's palm. There stood a tall man, with reddish hair and a short beard. She recognized him as Natalie's husband, Dorcas.

"The tactician asked me to tell the pegasus knight that she is needed at the west end." His voice rumbled deeply. Wil smiled.

"Thanks for saving me. I thought I was a goner for sure!" Florina sighed and flew off to help Lyn as Dorcas took Wil's place with his hand axe. Flying over to the west entrance she was met by Elfaiya.

"Hey, it's time to test out that new iron lance of yours! Fly on out to the that forest and fend off those mercenaries. They're not too strong and you have an advantage over their swords. If you take too much damage, use a vulnerary." She pointed to a cluster of trees. "Lyn's going after the leader of the bandits, so I need you to guard here."

"I'll do my best!" The young pegasus knight nodded determinedly and flew off to the forests. Elfaiya had been right, she had soon defeated the bandits and they retreated before they knew it.

"Yes. It's finally over." Elfaiya sighed. As Lyn, Dorcas, Natalie and Elfaiya talked, Florina tended to her pegasus. After rubbing it down she sought out Wil. She found him sitting on a piece of debris, waxing his bowstring. Walking up to him, she drew in a deep breath.

"Um… excuse me… Wil…?" Wil looked up as he heard the tiny voice address him. Spotting Florina, trying to seem as small as possible, standing a few feet away from him, he smiled.

"What's wrong Florina?" He put down his bow. She saw that his injured arm was tightly tied up with a bandage.

"I-I wanted to… apologize…" She muttered in a small voice, feeling a bit sick. Wil frowned, puzzled.

"For what? You didn't do anything…" Then noticing that she was looking at his arm, he smiled ruefully. "This wasn't your fault." Florina shook her head. It _was_ her fault. If only she hadn't been afraid, then she could have warned him. She had almost cost him his life.

"No, really. It's okay." He said gently, as tears began to well up in her eyes. "Imagine if you weren't there at all, I wouldn't have known about the second arrow."

"B-but, Dorcas c-came b-before he e-even h-had the chance…"

"That's where you're wrong. That archer _did_ release that arrow. I dodged it because you warned me. Dorcas just took care of him after. See? You aren't blamed for anything."

"Re-really?"

"Yeah." He smiled at her. Florina managed a small one in return.

Ah! This took me forever to type up! I don't know if this is lame or not, but it was the only idea that came to mind…

Guy: Want me to tell you?!

FireEdge: No. I already know you're opinion! "It was horrible!"

Guy: Wow! You are _so_ a mind reader!

FireEdge: --;; Please review…

FireEdge


	3. Chapter 3

Whoohoo! Chapter 3 is up!

Guy: Who cares?!

FireEdge: Me! And everyone else who reviews this! Speaking of which, here's the reviews!

Reviews:

Ed, the Master Tactician: Don't worry about it; I don't mind tactician pairings at all! I've read one or two already and they're real good! Thanks for staying with me! :P

Griffinkhan: Ooh, I'll try and add more description into it, but I'm not sure if it will be enough. :P Start a trend? That would be cool!

Oh yes, I kinda lost track of the days they had been traveling and where they were, so I apologize for not having too much detail…

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Stray Arrow 

Chapter 3 

            They had been traveling for quite a few days now. Just yesterday, they had gotten into another fight with the Taliver bandits. They had thought that they were finally rid of them, but they just kept on coming back. Though they fought a hard battle it wasn't all for naught, for they gained two new companions. One was an Ostian priestess named Serra; she seemed to be very proud of her looks and was very talkative. The other was her escort. His name was Erk; he seemed to be more of the silent type and was usual reading, when he was not trying to avoid Serra.

Florina flew along on her pegasus, biting her lower lip. She knew that it was her fault that they had been plagued with these attacks. If only she had been more careful when landing then this would never had started. They could be safely in Caelin by now, if not for her. She lowered her head, her orchid locks covering her face. Tears started to well up in her eyes, though she did not shed them.

Soon, they reached the city of Araphen. While everyone took a break and looked around the grand city, Kent went to see the marquess of Araphen.

"Hey, Florina!" Wil called out to the girl. Still absorbed in her thoughts, Florina didn't notice him. "Florina? Hey, are you okay? You seem a little distant today."

"Huh?" She lifted up her head, finally taking notice of the archer. "Oh… um… hi, Wil."

"So are you okay?" He asked again, knowing that she had not heard him the first time, by the dazed look in her eyes. Florina nodded her head.

"I'm fine…"

"Uh, okay then. So… do you want to look around the city with me?" Offered Wil. She seemed so sad today. He wanted to try and cheer her up a bit. Perhaps taking a walk would take her mind off whatever was bothering her.

"Um, okay…" Standing up, they started walking. Suddenly Florina asked Wil the question that had been nagging at her. "Wil, do you think that it's my fault that those bandits keep on attacking us?" Her lower lip quivered slightly and her eyes shone with tears. Wil was taken aback at the question.

"What?! Of course not! Why would you ever think that?"

"Well… it was my fault that they attacked us in the first place… I mean… if I didn't land on him…" She explained. Tears now rolling down her cheeks.

"Don't cry. It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known that he was there, I mean, you were looking for Lyn at the time weren't you? So you must have been distracted." He smiled sympathetically. Gently he wiped a tear away from her face. Then he gave her a broader grin. "And look on the bright side! You wouldn't have met me, or Serra or Erk, if this didn't ever happen. I know that these attacks are horrible, but you did meet a lot of new people." Florina managed a small smile. He was right. She wouldn't have met him if that had never happened. Though she still felt guilty, she did feel better now. All of a sudden, they heard Elfaiya give a yell.

"Everyone! Get back here right now!" Giving each other a look, they nodded and ran back to where they had left the group. Lyn and Kent already stood there, another man on horseback stood with them. Erk was standing up, his book in hand; Dorcas leaned against the wall of a building, hefting his hand axe absently. From the other direction, Serra and Sain, obviously out sightseeing, came running towards them.

"What's going on?" Demanded Sain.

"The marquess of Araphen has been accosted and the castle is a fire." Elfaiya explained. Nodding at the stranger on the horse, she continued. "This is Rath. He is the captain of the guard. We need to help him open three triggers in the barracks to get inside the castle." Everyone nodded. Gathering up their weapons, they continued to listen to her instructions. "So our goal is to find all three switches! Then Rath and the rest of the guards can take care of this… problem. All right, head out everyone!" After receiving his orders, Wil headed towards the south. Up ahead, he could make out a soldier, guarding a door. From off to the north, he could hear Rath's deep voice boom.

"I've taken care of the first one! That's two more to go!" A grating noise soon followed. It sounded as if a wall had crumbled down. Sneaking up on the soldier, Wil shot two arrows and fell the guard.

"Hmm… well, I've got a bit of a problem here…" He stared at the locked door. Letting out a sigh he turned around. As he turned, he let out a cry as he came face to face with Florina. "Florina!" 

"Um… Elfaiya said that I needed to give you this key. It's to unlock the door." She handed him a simple gold key. Taking it from her he gave a smile.

"Thanks." Fitting the key into the lock, he pushed the door open. He didn't notice the enemy behind the door until Florina flew past him and sunk her lance into him. Defeating the soldier in the process. "I guess we're even now. I saved your life, you saved mine." Going past her he stepped onto the blue tile, which he presumed to be the switch. "Yes! That's the second trigger. We've got to find that last one." He gave her another grin.

Florina was glad for the darkness of the room. For her cheeks were flushed red. The comment Wil had given her was actually quite embarrassing. As he smiled at her, she noticed for the first time how handsome he was. His eyes twinkled with an unknown happiness. He seemed to have the cutest smile. Wil was also quite tall, she noticed. She only reached up to his shoulders. _Wait?! Wh-what am I thinking?! _Florina blushed even redder than before.

"So, you coming Florina?"

"Um… uh… yeah…" She stuttered and then they quickly went out. As they stepped outside, they heard Elfaiya call to them.

"Hey, good job guys! You got the second trigger! Get over here quickly! Florina just take Wil onto your pegasus and get over here!" With that, Elfaiya ran off.

"Come on, let's get over there, Florina." Wil nodded. Looking at the pegasus, he grinned sheepishly. "Uh… I'm not too good with horses. Or pegasi, so can you er, give me a hand?" Moving her food from the stirrup, she held out her hand.

"Um… put your foot in the stirrup and grab my hand. Then just pull yourself up behind me." He grabbed her hand. After a bit of struggling, he finally sat down on the saddle behind her. As she took off, she felt Wil's breathe on the back of her neck. And the warmth of his body proved that he was very close to her. She blushed, realizing how close he was. She almost fell off her pegasus, when Wil placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Florina, you can land over there." He pointed to the opening of the wall. Nodding slowly, she headed for the landing.

As Florina's pegasus made a touch down, she noticed that Elfaiya was quarreling with a stranger that they hadn't seen before.

"Please?! Oh, come on? It's just an… advancement on our… reward!"

"I said no, Matthew!" Elfaiya growled. "Just because you're a thief, it doesn't mean you have to act like one!"

"Oh, please?!" He begged. Elfaiya sighed grudgingly.

"Oh, fine. If you'll stop whining!"

"Hurrah! Treasure time! Treasure time!" Matthew jumped up excitedly and with a twirl of his red cloak he was at the chest. With a few movements of his wrist, the lid of the chest popped open. "Ooh! Look an Angelic Robe!" He lifted up a beautiful white cape. Handing it to Elfaiya, she looked it over. Talking to herself, she walked over to Florina.

"Hey, Florina. Here, take this. It should help you survive easier." Giving Florina the white cape, she walked back to Matthew and gave him new commands while she sent Kent and Sain to fight Bool, the knight that was guarding the last trigger.

Soon, with Lyn wielding the new Armorslayer that Matthew had recovered from another chest, Bool was easily defeated. Though the marquess declined to help them, Rath joined them and had given them 5000 gold! Matthew the new thief also stayed with them. By now, Elfaiya had seemed to have gotten over the fact that he steals things and seemed to be good friends now.

Now that they had stopped for the night, Florina finally took out the Angelic Robe she had received from Elfaiya. Frowning, she turned it over in her delicate hands.

"I've heard of Angelic Robes before." Wil came up behind her.

"How is it supposed to help me?" She asked.

"Well, put it on. The say that if you put one on, it'll make you last longer in battle."

"Um… okay." She carefully slipped the robe on. As if settled on her shoulders, she felt a tingling sensation go through her and the robe disappeared. She felt strangely refreshed. "What… happened?" She gasped. "Where did it go?"

"They say that once the robe has been used. It disappears."

"Wow. That was amazing…"

"Yeah. I'm sure that after that, you won't be needing me to save you in battle anymore!" Wil laughed. Florina blushed severely.

FireEdge: Fweh! That was long! I hope you can bear with me! Hahaha…

Guy: What?! How comes Matthew's there?! When do I come in?

Matthew: Because it's the chapter I'm introduced! And you don't come in for a loonngg time!

Guy: AHH! Where did you come from?!

Matthew: I'm her new muse!

Guy: What?! You're ditching me?!

FireEdge: No. I was bored so I decided to hire Matthew! :)

Guy: You hate me!

FireEdge: Nope. I just needed someone who won't insult me every second! :)

Guy: You really hate me! Wah!

Matthew: Hehe. Please review!

FireEdge


	4. Chapter 4

FireEdge: I LIVE!

Guy: That's nice.

Matthew: Eating a cookie Moove mote remues!

FireEdge: Don't talk with your mouth full… please, it's disgusting…

Guy: Yeah, and we can't understand a single word you said.

Matthew: Swallows I said, "You've got reviews."

FireEdge: Oh, yay!

Guy: Joy…

Reviews:

Rockie1: Thanks! And Matthew, you've got a fan!

Matthew: Score!

Ed, the Master Tactician: You heard the man, Matt. Oh, yes. Thought you'd like to know Ed, I practically live off your reviews! ;;

Matthew: Yeah! A fan _and_ getting to smack Guy in the head, all in the same day?! Hallelujah!

Takes out a frying pan and hits Guy on the head

Guy: Ouch! Mommy, wook at awl da pwetty cowours…

Faints

Nevian:  Thank you! And I know Guy gets everything wrong!

Ragnarok: Yes I know! Don't they look simply adorable?! Oh, and Matty, go rub this is Guy's face, please!

Matthew: Will do!

Guy: AHHH!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Stray Arrow 

Chapter 4 

            "So this is Khathelet." Said Lyn.

            "Yup," Replied Sain. "We're almost to Caelin!"

            "That's wonderful, Lyn!" Said Florina, coming up behind them.

            "Yes it is." Lyn smiled. Suddenly a young boy perhaps a year or two younger than Florina, ran up to the ragtag bunch.

            "Please, milady! Please! Help me! Nin- I mean, my sister. She has been taken away by some bad men." The pale-green haired boy pleaded. Kent stepped slightly in front of Lyn.

            "Milady Lyndis. You cannot let your guard down. Not even for a child."

            "I know Kent, but I-I want to help him. Elfaiya, what do you think?" The young tactician shrugged.

            "Fine by me."

            "Alright, we'll help you find your sister. Will you lead us to the men who took her?"

            "Uh huh. But they're really strong."

            "Don't worry, we're quite strong ourselves." Replied Lyn reassuringly. Suddenly Florina let out a yell. A black-robed figure suddenly appeared in front of them.

            "Lyn!"

            "I've come for the boy." The figure said.

            "No. If you are after him, then we'll protect him. " Said Lyn as she sank her sword into the figure. Off in the near distance they could see more black-robed figures, some they saw to be infamous shamans.

            "Elfaiya, it looks like we're being faced with shamans. They use the dreaded powers of the dark arts. We'll have to be careful…" Lyn frowned. Elfaiya gave a grimace.

            "Well, looks like Florina will be in the lead quite a bit then."

            "Wh-what?!" Florina cried in surprise. She was never put ahead of the group.

            "Pegasus knights have very good resistance to magic." Replied Elfaiya smoothly. "But the others will have to be more careful. Erk, you're weaker against dark magic, but I think you'll be backing Florina up. If we only had someone who could wield light magic."

            "I can!" Piped up Serra. "Eventually…" Suddenly Saint Elimine seemed to answer their pleas. For from the inn stepped out a figure clad in the robes of an Elimine bishop.

            "Who are you?" Demanded Lyn.

            "I am Lucius, I overheard the boy's conversation with the innkeeper. He was… disturbing. But I would like to help the boy." He answered. "I am a monk. I can help you against these shamans."

            "Alright, Lucius, welcome to the team." Lyn nodded.

            "I can help too!" Cried the boy, which they had found out to be named Nils.

            "Can you wield a weapon?" Asked Elfaiya.

            "Um, no. But I have other talents." He protested. "I'm a bard!"

            "You play music?"

            "My music can invigorate you in battle! Please! Give me a chance!"

            "Um, all right. Get ready, everyone! Onto battle!" Elfaiya commanded. "Lucius, Florina take the lead!" Lucius's magic was quite amazing to Florina. She had only seen Erk perform anima magic, but his light magic was quite different. She wasn't sure if she was really needed afterall. He seemed to have everything under control. Not to mention after Nils played for him, he seemed revived of energy and went forward and attacked with even more force.

            "Uh… Elfaiya? Are you sure you need me? Lucius seems to be doing all right without me…" Asked Florina hesitantly.

            "Don't be silly! You have a pegasus! You can fly ahead and get rid of some of the enemy ahead! That way Lucius's poor Lightning book won't get completely wasted!" Elfaiya pointed at a village a ways ahead. "Here, head to that village and warn them of danger."

            "Ah…. Okay." She flew to the village ahead and for her troubles she received a bottle of Pure Water. Not quite sure what to do with it, she flew back and gave it to Elfaiya.

            "Oh wow! This should let the other troops get into the fray more! Hmm… only three people can use this… All right, Florina, give some of this Pure Water to Wil, Kent and Sain." The pegasus knight nodded and flew to find them. Last of all she went to Wil.

            "Oh, hey Florina!" He greeted her with his usual cheery grin.

            "Wil, Elfaiya told me to give this to you." She handed him the nearly empty bottle.

            "Thanks." He opened the bottle and poured the contents over him. Once the water touched him, it seemed to evaporate and leave a slight aura around him. He smiled. "Now I should be a little more help! Can't let you have all the fun! Mind if I hitch a ride?" Wil asked. Florina blushed slightly.

            "Um… uh… not at all… Climb on." With fewer struggles than last time Wil climbed up beside her and they flew off to where the bigger battles were taking place. While the rest of them took care of the other enemies, Elfaiya had sent Florina, Lucius, Serra and Nils to take care of the leader of this group who was a strong shaman by the name of Heintz. Soon, they took care of the leader, but with Heintz's dying words, he told them that Ninian was far from here already.

            "No, Ninian!" Nils sobbed. Suddenly a serene voice spoke from the doorway of the castle.

            "Is this the girl you were looking for?" A red-haired man with gentle blue eyes came through the door with a young girl, unconscious in his arms.

            "Ninian!" Nils ran towards his sister as the man gently set her down. By the time Ninian woke up, the man named Eliwood they had found out, had already left. While Lyn and Elfaiya talked to Nils and Ninian, the others sat quietly, minding their idle business. Serra sat on the base of a statue, tugging at one of braids. Erk stood not to far, reading. Dorcas and Rath stood against the walls, as silent as ever. The two cavaliers talked quietly amongst themselves, while Matthew twirled his lock-pick unconsciously. Their newest recruit, Lucius, stood against a stone column also reading from one of his light magic books. Florina stood a bit further away from the others, stroking her pegasus's nose gently. She wanted some time alone to think. She was so confused about all of these feelings. Why did she get all fluttery inside at the sight of the friendly archer? Wil crouched not to far away, nervously thumbing his bow, thinking the same thing as Florina, while shooting her glances.

            Soon Lyn and the others came towards them.

            "Hurry and gather your things up. We're going after the men who kidnapped Ninian." They all nodded silently and quickly got up and about without a word.

FireEdge: Ah…. I got a bit lazy this chapter… not much details and I was going to add some more stuff with Lucius…

Guy: Oh well, the sooner you're done, the sooner I'm out of here!

Matthew: You're never out of here.

Guy: Oh crap…

Kirby appears out of nowhere

Kirby: Poyo!

FireEdge: AWWW!!! You're so cute!

Gives him a plate of pancakes

Guy: I want pancakes! Pouts

FireEdge: Too bad! You're being mean, so— Sticks tongue out

Guy: --

Matthew: Please review!

FireEdge


	5. Chapter 5

I'm back again!

Guy: NO!

Matthew: Whatever…

FireEdge: Ooh!!! Lots of reviews! Yay!

Guy: Crap, reviews usually mean: "Pain in the $$ for Guy!"

Matthew: Or extreme pain with various objects! :) I love hitting you!

Guy: I don't… --

Reviews:__

_Ed, the Master Tactician_: Hey, looks like your wish has been answered, Matthew! Ed here was kind enough to give us a beautiful Regal Blade… to hit Guy with!!! And thanks for reviewing!

Matthew: YAY!!!

Starts chasing Guy, eventually hitting him hard… with the sharp end, so now he's covered in bandages

Guy: Xx;;__

Inferno-Hero: Wow, your muses are crazier than mine… anyway, thanks for your review! 

_Nevian_: Yeah… but if I get this many reviews per chapter than no way in hell would I be lazy!

_Ragnarok_: I see you like my other muse! He is quite cute isn't he? Thanks for the compliment!

_LOLFun_: Well, the repeating the game's words thing was an intentional thing. Sorry if you don't like it.

_The Story Master 125 (x4)_: HOLY SHIT! 4 times! You know, you could have just reviewed once, for all the chapters in chapter 4, but… It does add to my reviews! :)

_Lord Cynic_: Yes, I do go overboard with the muses, don't I? But that's my way of "expressing" myself! Thanks for reviewing!

FireEdge: I don't know if you'd noticed, but I decided to make the reviewers names italic, much easier to read, eh?

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Stray Arrow 

Chapter 5 

            Traveling quickly, they soon arrived at the Black Fang's hideout. After studying the layout, Elfaiya almost smiled.

            "This place is completely to our advantage! Our battle should end fast." Peering about, Elfaiya spotted something. "If my eyes don't deceive me, then I think I see a treasure chest past that wall."

            "Did someone say treasure?" Matthew's eyes lit up. "If you do not mind, Elfaiya, please send me over there. With one or two "escorts," if you please?"

            "All right, Rath and Dorcas take Matthew and cover that area." She instructed. "Lyn, Kent, Sain, Nils. Go through that hallway in the middle. Florina, Erk, Lucius and Wil take the hall to the right. Get rid of those enemies behind the wall! Serra, hang back a bit and see who needs to be healed more, then go and help them out." Giving the tactician a quick nod, they all headed off in the direction they were assigned to.

            With a flick of her wrist, Florina sent her javelin plunging into the soldier's body. Nearby, she could hear the sounds of lightning and fire and the whizzes of arrows told her that Wil was close by. Standing up in her stirrups to peer over the wall, she saw that the enemies were quickly being defeated. Knowing that her comrades could handle them, she flew further down the dark corridor. There she found a couple of cavaliers. Switching to her iron lance, she took them down in a matter of minutes. _I think I'm finally getting better! It's hardly any effort to take down minor enemies anymore! But I mustn't get too overconfident I suppose…_ She smiled to herself then flew on. After reaching an intersection, she decided to wait for the others. Soon the sounds of light footfalls could be heard in the passage behind her. Turning in her saddle, a figure approached her. Getting closer, she smiled slightly. It was none other than Wil.

            Panting slightly from the battle, he returned her smile. For a moment they just stared at each other. The world around them seemed to freeze. Leaving them drifting by themselves, just them. No one else. Wil couldn't do anything but gaze at the pegasus knight with glazed eyes. Her orchid locks fell about her perfect face. Those aquamarine eyes shined with a light that wasn't there the first the first time that he had met her. He almost had to resist the urge to lift her off her mount and hold her in his arms. Like him, Florina's eyes were stuck on the young man. She admired his strong lithe physique. How his hair almost fell into his soft kind eyes. The cute smile that she loved so much. How there could be any man more perfect, she didn't know.

            Suddenly the sounds of yelling and pounding footsteps woke them from their reverie. Erk and Lucius, red-faced and wheezing they came up to them.

            "The wall—was—breached!" Erk panted between breaths. His cloak was slightly charred, from the other mages spells no doubt. Lucius was too in a bit of disarray.

            "How did that happen?" Wil asked confused. "I thought, we had that wall under control?!"

            "We did." Lucius replied flatly. "But then reinforcements came through. They had this very well planned out. They sent in a rush of forces when we were exhausted." Erk nodded in agreement.

            "But there's no point in turning back. We'd be killed. Better to head forward and see if we can catch up to Elfaiya or… Serra…" He said the last word with a bit of difficulty.

            "Yes, that's a good plan…" Wil nodded. Florina let out a silent sigh. She was hoping to be alone with Wil a bit longer. But duty called. Together they quickly ran down the length of the hall.

            "What in Saint Elimine happened to you?!" Cried Serra in shock as she held out her staff to heal them. "You look like you've been through hell and back!"

            "Something like that…" Muttered Erk. Elfaiya shook her head.

            "I didn't think they were that smart. Shouldn't have underestimated them. I forgot that we weren't dealing with ordinary bandits. Sorry 'bout that."

            "It was nothing, Elfaiya." Lucius replied gently. Florina nodded.

            "Yes, I shouldn't have left too early. But it looked like the enemy was defeated."

            "Well, no sense in worrying. We should focus on defeating their leader before even more reinforcements come." Suggested Wil.

            "Yes, we should. Go on and join the others. I've already sent Lyn and them up ahead." Eventually catching up to the others, they saw that they were already deep in battle with the leader. Beyard, he was a blond haired man with determined eyes. Rath had taken Wil's spot as archer for he was busy firing at the man. Dorcas hung a bit back, because of the weapon triangle. He was holding a new axe. It looked sharper and heavier than his old one. Kent and Sain were on either side of him, taking turns at striking him with their lances. Lyn turned around at the sight of them.

            "Oh, Florina! Good you're all here! Your aid will do well to take this man down. He seems determined not to die."

            "Not to worry, milady, magic will take him down in a moment." Erk nodded. Opening his anima book he lifted his hand and chanted. A fireball appeared and he hurled it at the enemy. Florina was still amazed at the affects magic had on most units with lower resistance. Taking them down almost instantly. _I'm sure glad that I have a higher resistance than most. _She glanced at Wil. _But Wil doesn't. I hope he won't one day fall at the hands of magic…_

            Despite all their efforts, the man wasn't dead. Though he was obviously defeated.

            "We won't kill you if you tell us why you've been chasing Ninian and Nils." Demanded Lyn. Beyard smiled almost insanely. He gave a weak laugh.

            "Failure _is_ death!" With that he collapsed. From her spot at the back, Florina let out a strangled gasp. She bit her lip. Though she had seen countless enemies fall, she still could not stand someone throwing away their life that way. She didn't need Kent saying that the man had poisoned himself to know. Tears welled in her eyes. She almost felt sorry for the man. He felt like a failure. She did too, sometimes… though she never really considered killing herself for it… Florina felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning her head, she saw Wil. _No one can see me…_ She thought to herself as she buried her face into his chest, sobbing. His hands wrapped around her comfortingly. Everyone was too busy to notice them. Or so they thought. But while Lyn talked to Ninian and Nils about the Ninian's ring, and everyone else listened. Elfaiya stood a bit further back in the shadows, smiling.

FireEdge: Aww… They love each other!

Guy: Duh, wasn't that kind of the main idea of this fic?!

FireEdge: Yup. Still can't believe I actually wrote that.

Guy: Yeah, considering you don't have any feelings!!!

Matthew: Yes she does. If she didn't have feelings would she laugh if I did… this?!

Whams Guy with a 10k hammer

Guy: Xx;;

FireEdge: Hahahaha! Loser! XD

Kirby: Poyo!

Holds up sign

Sign: Please review!

FireEdge


	6. Chapter 6

Yes! I've been dying to do this chapter! You know, the one with the BALLISTA in it!!!

Guy: Ballista? You mean you're _ballistic_!

Crickets chirping

Matthew: Guy, don't try to be funny…

Kirby: Poyo…

FireEdge: No kidding… Anyway, review time! Yay!

Reviews:

_Rockiel_: Haha, yes. I feel sorry for Guy too, he is my favourite character, but where's the fun if we don't torment him? But just to make him happy… Gives Guy a Rune Sword and a Wo Dao

Guy: Yay!

_The Story Master 125_: Yup, I'm getting used to it… not like I have a choice. You know, I think you'd get along with my brother. You're both Kirby freaks!

_Ed, the Master Tactician_: Yes, hitting Guy is quite addictive! :) Cool, you know a site with the official art? I want to see the Wil one. Hey, put it in your profile and I'll check it out!

Guy: AHHH!!!

Matthew: Whee!

_Lord Cynic_: Hehehe. Nice.

_Ragnarok_: Yes, Kirby's cute. And yes, I will definitely keep on updating!

_Zephire the Tactician_: Oh, hey! As long as you don't ditch me, you can do whatever you want with your username! :P And thanks for the compliment! 

FireEdge: Note that in this chapter there really isn't a vendor, but only an armory. But for my storyline thing, I needed to add a vendor. Also I don't know how a ballista really looks or functions like, so this is how I imagine it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Stray Arrow 

Chapter 6 

            "Look, Elfaiya!" Lyn pointed. "The mountains seem so far away now. We've come such a long way…" Elfaiya nodded. It had been a long journey. But she couldn't it say that it didn't have it's upsides. They had met so many wonderful people along the way. Turning her head a bit, she saw Kent and Sain came up to them.

            "Milady Lyndis! Elfaiya!" Said Sain finally catching up to them. "We can't be very far from the castle now!"

            "By my reckoning, we can reach Castle Caelin in two days if we hurry." Added Kent. Lyn nodded, walking away from the others. Closing her eyes, she murmured to herself,

            "Two more days… Hold on, Grandfather. Please…" Seeing that Lyn was sad, Florina went up to her.

            "Cheer up, Lyn. If they see you looking so sad, the entire company will lose heart." Florina said with a small smile. _But nothing seems to get Wil's spirits down._ She then blushed slightly, realizing that she was thinking about the auburn haired archer.

            "Florina…" Lyn smiled, not noticing the flush on the pegasus knight's cheeks, "you're right. There's nothing gained by worrying. We just have to press onward."

            "That's the spirit!" Florina forced herself to stop thinking of Wil as she gave a big grin. Lyn returned her beam of happiness.

            "I haven't seen you this happy for a while. What's happened to make you this way?" Florina turned red at the question.

            "No-nothing! I-I'm just h-happy!" She stuttered, as thoughts of being held in Wil's arms returned to her. Lyn just smirked slyly as they rejoined the others. Upon their return, they heard Elfaiya talking to Matthew.

            "Fine, fine. Go!" Said Elfaiya with a grimace. Matthew then turned to Lyn with a bow.

            "If you'll excuse me, milady. I have some… business to attend to. I will return as soon as possible." Lyn just nodded. The thief then sprinted off quickly into the distance.

            "He'd better not be running off." Elfaiya growled.

            "I think he'll come back, don't worry." Lyn reassured her.

            "Good… 'cause I forgot to take back the items I told him to hold on too before he left… and some of our gold…" Florina and Lyn couldn't help but laugh as the tactician continued to sulk about the fact that she had entrusted valuable items to a thief. But their humor was short-lived when Ninian suddenly let out a cry.

            "Milady! Don't move!" The dancer warned.

            "Wha--AH!" Lyn cried as a giant bolt flew towards her.

            "Milady!" Kent quickly grabbed her and pulled her back, both tumbling to the ground. Florina had also let out a scream when the bolt had nearly hit Lyn, and herself, being right beside her. But when she opened her eyes she found herself on the ground. She felt something next to her and saw that it was Wil. He had practically tackled Florina to the ground to get her out of the way of the missile. Breathing heavily, the four named prior stood up shakily.

            "A ballista!" Sain hissed between clenched teeth. "Lundgren must be getting serious if he's employing siege weapons!"

            "A ballista? What is that?" Asked Lucius.

            "It's a large weapon that can only be used by archers." Replied Kent. "They are very dangerous and can take down most enemies in a single hit." Florina shuddered at the prospect of a giant bow. _And I thought that normal bows were bad enough!_ She felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder. But Wil quickly removed it when Lyn faced him.

            "Wil, can you use a ballista?" The archer frowned at the question.

            "I've never tried one before. But I'm sure I can figure it out."

            "Florina, you'll be staying out of this battle." Said Elfaiya.

            "What?" She protested.

            "Elfaiya's right. It's too dangerous to send you out. If you were caught in the air, they would target you in an instance." Wil nodded, then in a murmur that was for only Florina's ears he added, "And I don't want to lose you…" Florina nodded, swallowing back tears.

            "Alright! Get ready everyone! Florina, stay by the shops there! You can stock up on some supplies while you wait for us!" Directed Elfaiya. "Kent, you Sain and Rath go on ahead and knock that sucker out before he does any more damage! Lucius, Nils! Head to that village! Stay in the forests! You two are fast enough to dodge the bolts, hopefully. Everyone else, stay in the woods and move _carefully_!!!" Sniffing a bit, Florina observed the rest charge into battle. _If I could only help out more…_ She thought as she lowered her head and entered the vendor.

            "Hello. How may I help you?" The woman behind the counter smiled. Florina returned the greeting and proceeded in purchasing items. Picking up a couple of vulneraries and a Lighting and Fire tomb for the magic users, as they seemed to use up their books quickly. Pausing as she neared the counter, she spotted something on one of the shelves. Putting down the items she was holding, she picked up the glittering piece of jewelry. It was made of a beautiful silvery metal. On its chain was a small charm of a shining star. In the center of the star was a strange symbol engraved into it. She wasn't sure of the symbol but it seemed to be familiar. The necklace seemed to call out to her. Seeing that the pegasus knight was entranced by the trinket, the merchant smiled.

            "It's quite pretty isn't it miss?" Florina only nodded, still absorbed by the necklace.

            "Would you like it? You can have it free of charge. It's only a necklace that I found on the streets one day." The merchant offered.

            "C-could I? Th-thank you!" Stammered Florina gratefully.

            "Now, would you like to purchase the other items?"

            "Yes. Please." Florina nodded. Balancing everything in one hand, she stepped out of the shop, admiring the charm. As she placed down her purchases she continued to gaze at the necklace. _Perhaps…Wil would like it…?_ She blushed; trying to imagine what he would say if she gave him a gift. Leaning against her pegasus, she waited for his return, along with the others.

            Brushing branches out of his face, Wil crept carefully through the forest, hoping not to attract attention from the archer in the ballista. _Ah, I wish Kent and them would hurry up and knock that ballista out! But I do hope that it still has some bolts left after. I would like to try it out…_ As he neared the ballista, he was grateful to see that Rath had just killed the archer there. Running up to the nomad, he looked at the giant bow.

            "There are still at least one or two bolts left in there." Rath said in his low deep voice before riding off rejoin the fight. Nodding, Wil nervously climbed into the siege weapon. Slinging his own bow onto his back, he sat down in the seat and raised the end of the giant bow. Positioning one end slightly on his shoulder, he drew out a long, thick bolt from the side of the ballista. Nocking it on to the ballista, he turned the heavy contraption on its pivot, and aimed carefully at the enemy leader. Spreading his feet out to gain more stability, he tilted the ballista as needed, and then locked its position. Pulling back on the firm bowstring with as much force as he could muster, he made sure his aim was true and let go of his grip. The ballista's bowstring sang, reverberating with the energy from the release. Wil could hear the bolt rushing through the air towards its target: a great knight with solid armor. But the armor was a pathetic shield against the might of the ballista bolt. Wil could hear the knight let out a groan as the bolt must have penetrated his impregnable armor. Unfortunately, that was the ballista's remaining bolt. Sighing, Wil climbed down slowly from the big device. _Well, at least I did some heavy damage! That's good to know. Ah, but it hurts your arm!_ After letting Nils play his flute for him, he went to help the others end the battle.

            Even after the battle had ended, things were still grim. When they had made the final blow, Matthew had returned with ill news. It turned out that the thief had been nosing around for information. He had found out that the marquess of Caelin was unwell and had been so for many months now. Rumors had it that he was being poisoned. This news was devastating for them all, especially Lyn. Also Matthew had learned that Lundgren was spreading about a story of rogue knights of Caelin and a Sacae plainswoman that was posing as the heir to Caelin. This was shocking news to all. But luckily, they returned they remembered that Eliwood of Pherae was still in Araphen and had said that he would help them in any way he could. They would set out in the morning. For now, they still had a peaceful night's rest ahead of them.

            Wil lay down on the soft grass with a happy sigh. After that battle, his body ached all over and was glad for a chance to lie down. Closing his eyes, he breathed in the sweet scents of the night and listened to crickets chirping when he heard someone kneel down in the grass beside him.

            "Wil?" A timid voice prodded him. "Are you awake?"

            "Yes. What is it, Florina?" He opened his eyes and rolled onto his side before propping himself up on an elbow. Despite the shadows of the night, he saw that Florina's beautiful face was rosy. He grinned a bit to himself at the sight of her like that.

            "Um… um… I, uh…" She fingered something in her hand. Taking a deep breath, she tried to speak again. "Uh, Wil… while you were all fighting… I was at the shop and I spotted this…" Opening her small, gloved hand, he saw that a silver necklace with a charm of a star lay in her palm.

            "That's very beautiful." He breathed. She turned even redder as she said the next part.

            "Um… I… I…. I want you to have it…" She placed it shyly into his hand.

            "Are you really giving it to me?" He smiled. Florina nodded fervently, her hair bouncing on her shoulders. "Thank you, I'll cherish it always." Wil unclasped it and put it around his neck.

Guy: Hey, what's with the necklace?

FireEdge: My first original touch to this story! Duh! And it will also play an important part in the story, waayy later on! So don't forget it! ;)

Matthew: Hey! Why doesn't the tactician trust me? I'm trustworthy!

Guy: Scoff Yeah, right!

FireEdge: Meh, I just thought it'd be funny.

Matthew: Funny? O.o

Kirby: Poyo?

FireEdge: Eh… just my pathetic sense of humor…

Guy: Thought so…

Matthew: Review!

--FireEdge-- 


	7. Chapter 7

Hello, sorry for the long update, but it was the end of school thing! :P But this chapter is going to be longer (hopefully…)!

Guy: I didn't mind the wait! :)

Matthew: Of course you don't! You don't get hurt when she doesn't update!

Guy: Duh.

Reviews:

_Guy The Master_: Thanks. Yeah, Wil's one of my favs too.

_Lord Cynic_: Judging my your muses (are they muses?) you really don't say "Aww, that's nice…" a lot do you?

_Zephire the Tactician_: Thanks!

_TheOneAndOnlyT_: Wow, thanks for the tip, I knew something sounded funny in that sentence. :P You're review means quite a bit to me, for it was your fic _Different _that inspired me to write this! :)

_Ragnarok_: Hey, thanks! I worked really hard on that romance bit!

Guy: Yeah right.

FireEdge: You, shut up!

_Mizurazame_: It's confusing because you probably never played the game before… Thanks for the review, but for your sake, I recommend either to play Fire Emblem 7 first (if you have not played it already) before reading this fic, or just stick to the my other fics that you are more comfortable with.

_Ed, the Master Tactician(x2)_: Yeah, that would be much easier that way, wouldn't it? Yes, thank you for the site! But thanks to the internet, I'm actually quite familiar with the FE6 cast, so no worries! And about your second review…

Guy: AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

_Masboy11_: Hm… good idea. I'll try and add that idea in next chapter.

_purpleflamepyrogirl_: Thanks for the review!

_Squallsgurl_: Yes, it is a shame that the game doesn't give them a support together. If you like WilFlorina fics, there's also a one-shot from The Story Master 125 you can read.

FireEdge: Note that there is a slight bit of violence in this chapter. Though I don't really think it's anything major. I'm just warning those with an extremely weak stomach to um… "watch out." So don't flame me for it… But if you think I should change the rating to PG13 or something, please tell me. Cuz I don't want this fic to get kicked off…

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Stray Arrow Chapter 7 

"Damn it!" Elfaiya swore as she slipped on a patch of slick, wet grass. Rain was pouring down on them like there was no tomorrow. It was definitely not the best conditions to be fighting Lundgren in. The rain was slowing everyone down. The water was making the ground turn into sucking mud, which made the horses' hooves sink in. Though Rath's horse seemed to be having an easier time with the rain, for nomadic horses seemed to be more adept in the rain. For the troops on foot, everything was dark and the rain just obscured their vision more. General Wallace, whom they had met a few days ago, had an even worse time with his heavy armor. But he was strong-willed and persisited. As for Florina, the rain drenched her poor pegasus's wings, causing her airborne horse to have a hard time flying.

Elfaiya glanced around. _Thank goodness we have _some_ periods of sunshine or I don't know what we would do!_ As if answering her thoughts, from beside her, Lyn's head perked up.

"Elfaiya, the rain is going to stop soon."

"Good, everyone, get ready to move forward as soon as the rain stops! I want to make good use of the sun that is to come!" They all nodded groggily, next to slowing their progress, the rain was making everyone in an especially grouchy mood. Serra constantly complained about the weather ruining her hair. Normally silent Rath seemed to glare at everyone. Lyn and Elfaiya snapped at everyone for no reason. Even Sain had stopped flirting and fooling around for once. But the downpour didn't appear to douse Wil's high spirits. He was as optimistic as ever, if even more. The archer was always running ahead, then coming back, saying that the rain was stopping their enemies as well and that this "drizzle" was actually to their advantage. Though Elfaiya would ask him "Who's the tactician here anyways?!" and ignore him. He'd also say things like "Oh, why look at those clouds! I think they're finally clearing up!" even when they were as dense as rocks.

Personally, Florina was welcomed of Wil's cheeriness; it helped her keep focused on the task at hand, which was to defeat Lundgren. As the rain started to clear up, she flew towards Wil, who was shaking the water from his messy hair. She couldn't help but smile as he looked at her with a huge grin on his face, and his hair sticking on ends.

"See, I told you the clouds were clearing up!" She just shook her head; they both knew very well that he had said that more than an hour ago.

"Are you okay Wil? Did you slip on the mud? Or the grass?"

"No, I'm okay Florina. You needn't worry about me. Just watch out for yourself. This rain is quite dangerous to fly around in. I don't want you getting hurt." He frowned for the first time that day. She blushed, still abashed at the fact that he was worried about her.

"Um… I will…"

"Florina! Pick Wil up and transport him, please! Everyone gets along faster that way!" Elfaiya called to them. Inclining her head to one side, Florina saw that Kent had scooped Lyn up behind his saddle and was hurrying ahead. Rath and Sain were following his example. The pegasus knight didn't need to help Wil up. He was quite used to being on her pegasus by now. After making sure Wil was settled in the saddle behind her, she took off into the air. As they flew high into the sky, above the ground, Wil spoke.

"Florina, this is probably going to be the hardest battle that we have ever fought so far."

"I-I know."

"It's going to be dangerous. People are going to get hurt…" He voice was starting to sound sad.

"Serra could always heal our wounds. She's healed the direst of our wounds before, hasn't she? D-do you doubt her skill?" Florina inquired, not quite sure where this conversation was leading to.

"Yes, but even a the most powerful cleric's skills have a limit." Replied Wil. Not exactly sure how to answer that, she stayed silent. "Even Saint Elimine herself could revive the dead!"

"Wh-what are you getting at, Wil?"

"What I'm saying is that, if one of us were to die in this battle…" He sighed, as if all of his previous optimism had never existed.

"We-we won't die!" Florina said in a strong voice that took Wil aback. "We've come to far to fail now, Wil! You just have to focus on our goal! To defeat Lundgren!" Wil blinked, surprised. But then he smiled.

"Of course, how could I forget that? We _have_ come to far to just give up. Thank you for reminding me of that, Florina." He embraced her lightly, which made her turn red and squeak. Wil laughed and ruffled her lavender hair. "But Florina, promise me something." Still trying to recover from the shock of Wil's hug, she managed to stutter out,

"W-what m-may th-that b-be?"

"Don't die." She was immediately shaken from her shock at his words. "Please, promise me, don't die. I don't want to lose you."

"I-I won't… I promise, Wil. I-I won't leave you, ever…" She murmured. They then continued their flight in a serene silence.

"Do you really think you can defeat me?!" Lundgren roared as all the troops surrounded him. The magic users and the archers were using ranged attacks on Lundgren, while he was busy with the close-ranged units. Serra was working overtime with healing everyone, while Nils was playing his flute for her to help her heal faster. With the close ranged group, Elfaiya was making them use a "hit-and-run" technique. Which consisted of one or two characters doing some heavy damage to Lundgren, while one of the mounted units or Florina would then rescue them from the brink of destruction and get far away enough that Lundgren's lance would not reach them. Though this technique seemed to be a little risky, it was working very well. That is, until something went wrong in this apparently flawless plan.

"Aaaiiieee!!!" Florina screamed as the silver lance sunk into her. Her pegasus collapsed onto the ground with a loud whinny. Florina gasped, trying to breathe as she clutched her side, which was bleeding profusely.

"Florina!" Lyn yelled.

"No…" Gasped Wil in silent horror, his bow fell from his limp hand to the ground, as did he. He didn't even notice as a ball of fire streaked past him and killed Lundgren. All he saw was Florina, on the brink of death. "No… th-this… th-this can't be happening…"

"Florina! Are you okay?! Say something!!!" Lyn screamed in almost hysteria. The young girl looked up at the lord.

"Lyn, I'm sorry. I…I can't go on…" She whispered. Her eyes felt droopy and she was overcome with a wave of dizziness.

"Elfaiya! Serra! Take care of her! I want to stay, but I must finish this. Please make sure she survives." Crying, Lyn then reluctantly gave her to Elfaiya. She then, accompanied by Kent and Sain, went into the castle.

"I'm… I'm sorry." Florina murmured before she fell into unconsciousness. Serra was quickly trying to heal her as best as she could, while Rath rode off to find someone who could heal her. The rest looked on worriedly, shifting around nervously. But in the silence you could hear Lucius praying frantically. Wil stumbled towards Elfaiya and Serra.

"Is… is she going to… live…?" He asked quietly. He feared that if he talked any louder that he would be overcome with tears.

"I don't know Wil. I truly don't know." Replied Elfaiya solemnly.

"Elfaiya… I-I can't do any more… I'm sorry." Serra sobbed as she stood up and walked to stand with Erk, crying into his shoulder. Elfaiya then stood up and gently placed Florina into Wil's arms. She then walked away, leaving him alone with the young pegasus knight. He looked down at her frail body. The bleeding had been stopped, but she was paler than a sheet and she was cold to his touch. The only thing to reassure him that she still lived was the slow rise and fall of her chest. Moving one hand, he brushed a lock of her silky hair away from her angelic face. Despite his efforts, he couldn't restrain his tears at the look of pain on her face.

"Please…" He rasped softly, his voice hoarse. "Please, don't leave me… You promised me, Florina. Please, be strong!" Bowing his head down in grief, the necklace that Florina had given him, fell from the collar of his shirt. Feeling the added weight on his neck, he grasped the necklace in his hand. Slowly taking it off, he looked at it. But the charm only brought more tears to his eyes. He knew the chances of her living were slim to none. The worst part was that he couldn't do anything about it. _Why?! Why must it be this way?! What did she do to deserve this?! Why?!_ Moaning, he held his head in his hands, the charm pressing into his palm.

Suddenly, the tiny piece of metal felt warm. Opening his eyes in surprise, he looked at the small charm. He let out a gasp as it started to glow. The charm then grew hot. Giving a startled cry, he dropped the necklace, falling on Florina. The glow of the necklace grew, engulfing the young pegasus knight in a soft light. All looked at the radiance with eyes wide with astonishment. Slowly, the shine dimmed and eventually disappeared. The gash in Florina's side seemed to have healed and the colour had returned to her face. Carefully picking up the charm, Wil examined it. There was absolutely nothing peculiar about it.

"What… what just happened?" Matthew asked, his voice barely audible.

"I-I don't know…" Replied Elfaiya, just as shocked as the thief. Lucius closed his eyes in prayer again.

"Blessed Saint Elimine, thank you for this miracle!"

Hah! That's it for this chapter! I don't know if this is a cliffhanger or not, but I'm hoping it'll keep you waiting! ;) But don't worry; this fic is far from over! And for those who might be wondering, that's not the charm's real purpose, the idea just popped into my head! :) Also, I might not be updating for the next two weeks or so. I'm on vacation, so… yeah. But I promise as soon as I get back, I'll give you a nice chapter! Okay?

Guy: Booyah! I'm going to Hawaii! Decked out in a Hawaiian shirt, shorts, beach hat and sunglasses

Matthew: Not without me, you're not! Wearing the same thing

Guy: What?! No way!

Kirby: Poyo! In sunglasses

Guy: Eh? You too?!

All run out the door

FireEdge: Weirdos. I'm not even going to Hawaii… Please review. And be patient! I will be back!

Poof! Disappears in smoke

--FireEdge--


	8. Chapter 8

Hey, peoples, I'm back! … Where are my muses… Hmm…. Must still be on vacation… drat! Oh, well…

Door opens

Matthew- We're back!

Guy- And very—ouch—sunburned…

Kirby- Poyo…

Reviews:

__

Ragnarok- I'll take that as a compliment! :P Well, this chapter's not as fluffy, I hope…

__

Ed, the Master Tactician- Tears, eh? Wow, I'm good. And don't worry, the link in the review was good enough!

Guy- Why me?! And I was just on vacation! AHHHH!!!

__

SweetMisery430- Yeah I like this pairing too. Well, that was a dumb thing to say, why else am I writing this fic. And actually, only my muses went to Hawaii, I just went… around…

__

Lord Cynic- I totally agree. Wow, thanks for the compliment didn't think that chapter was this good! :)

__

TheOneAneOnlyT- Haha, don't worry it only _sounds_ like it's going to end but have you forgotten about something I like to call Eliwood's quest? Actually it's more Hector's quest… You know what, I'm going to shut up now, before I accidentally reveal something I'm not supposed to…

__

Inferno-Hero(x2)- Thanks! And Kirby thanks you for "helping" him to get to Hawaii, he didn't need to pay for the airplane ticket! Unlike Matt and Guy!

Disclaimer- I don't own Fire Emblem.

****

Stray Arrow

Chapter 8

Wil nodded his head inattentively, as Kent taught him more court manners. Kent had been doing that a lot recently. But no one could blame him. Wil after all did grow up as a normal village boy and court manners weren't a necessity in life.

"Wil!" Kent snapped. "Are you listening to me?"

"Hm? Oh, I'm sorry Kent. My mind is elsewhere today…"

"I'd say." The cavalier agreed. He sighed. "As it seems that you will probably not listen to me further, you may leave." Wil nodded. _Why can't I concentrate today?_ He mentally kicked himself. But he already knew the answer to that question, Florina.

Ever since the battle with Lundgren, everything had changed. After recovering from her injury, Florina had seemed to be avoiding most people. Most people as in men. She was always with Lyn or another female of Caelin Castle. Whenever he did manage to catch her alone, she'd make up some poor excuse and run off. It was as if she didn't even know him. That left him heartbroken.

_Maybe some practising will help take my mind off things._ He slowly headed towards the archery yard. His hand unknowingly fingered the charm around his neck. He still wasn't sure what the charm really was. But he decided to agree with what Lucius thought it was, a miracle sent by Saint Elimine. Of course, he also had no one to console himself to. Kent didn't seem like the type to discuss this with and Sain was completely out of the question. Lyn seemed a possibility, but for some reason he didn't seem to think it was a good idea. Maybe it was because he didn't think it right for him to ask a noble on such affairs.

Finally approaching the archery court, he picked up a bow and slowly strung it. Giving the string a testing pull, he nocked an arrow on and let it fly. The sight of his arrow on the bull's eye seemed to relax him somewhat. _Maybe she had a case of amnesia? Or perhaps she just doesn't care for me any longer…? Has her fear of men returned for some reason? Oh, I don't know what to think anymore! _Pulling back as hard as he could on his bowstring he let loose his arrow. It sunk deep into the relatively thin target and the end of the arrow tip could be seen on the other side.Slightly surprised to see his arrow penetrate that deep, he dropped his bow and walked over to a bench and sat down, hoping to let go of some of his emotions before he broke any more equipment. _I'm never going to hear the end of this from Kent…_ Suddenly a small voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"W-Wil…?" He nearly jumped out of his skin at the familiar voice that he had been longing to hear for so long. Standing up and turning around he saw Florina, hiding slightly behind a pillar.

"Florina…"

"W-Wil… I-I'm s-sorry…" She stuttered. Wil took a cautious step towards her, longing to hold her in his arms. But she let out a small squeak and shrunk back.

"Florina? What's wrong…?" He stopped in his tracks, afraid that if he took another step she would flee like a frightened doe.

"I-I'm s-sorry if I-I h-hurt y-you… b-but I-I need m-more t-time…" The pegasus knight whispered. Wil blinked in confusion.

"More time? More time for what? Are you still hurt from the battle with Lundgren?" To his dismay, she shook her little head, orchid curls bouncing on her delicate shoulders. Then he saw it. His eyes widened in shock and horror. Her eyes were filled with fear. Fear of _him_.

"F-Florina?! Why?!" He nearly yelled hysterically.

"I-I don't k-know…" Florina whimpered tears streaming down her cheeks. His whole body shook, he fought to hold back tears he knew that would come. Taking in a shaky breath he turned and ran. He ran as far as he could, he didn't care where he went, as long as it was far away from Florina's anguished face.

Suddenly he bumped into someone, knocking the both of them down. Standing up he started apologising.

"I'm sorry! Are you o—" Wil's jaw dropped. "Elfaiya?!"

"Oh, hi Wil." The tactician replied brushing herself off.

"Wh-what are you doing here? I thought you left months ago?!"

"Actually, I _did_. But then I got lost and came back to find a map." She answered sheepishly.

"But aren't you a tactician? I thought you had a good sense of direction?!"

"How do you think I came to be knocked out in the middle of Sacae, where Lyn found me?" Said Elfaiya.

"Uh… I never thought of it that way…"

"Uh-huh. Not many people do. Hey, your eyes look a bit red… Were you just crying, Wil?"

"Huh? Um… yeah…" The archer looked down.

"It's Florina, isn't it?" Elfaiya asked. Wil's head shot up.

"How did you know?!"

"I'm the tactician. I'm supposed to know. I may not have a great sense of direction, but I do notice things now and then."

"If you know about me and Florina. Then do you know what's wrong with her?" He asked hopefully. Elfaiya frowned.

"I just got here maybe a day ago, but I had noticed something different about Florina after she recovered from the wound she took from Lundgren." She said slowly. "I think she's acting the way she is, because of that charm. I'm guessing that there was a side effect of some sort. Maybe when she was healed, something triggered in her brain and her fear of men came back again. I mean she still had a fear of men before the battle, but it had lessened during our travels. But I think it's just come back again, maybe even worse than when she first started out."

"But… how can that be?" He asked, biting his lip as not to start crying again.

"I don't know. That is just a guess I had, it could be something entirely different."

"No, I think you are right, Elfaiya. But what am I to do?" Wil asked pleadingly.

"Just give it time. Be friends with her again, but remember to keep your distance until she's ready. I'm afraid that's all you can do. I'm sorry, Wil. There's nothing anyone can do. Miracles don't always come without a price."

"I-it's okay…" He sighed.

"I'd like to talk more, Wil, but I must be going. Can you tell me where Lyn or Kent may be? I need to get that map and be on my way." Wil nodded.

"Kent's in the grand hall, and Lyn's, I think, with marquess Hausen in the courtyard."

"Thank you, Wil. Stay strong, it'll all work out eventually." She gave his arm a reassuring squeeze and went off. Sighing he sat down on a nearby stone bench. _Why did this have to happen to me? Why does everything always have to happen to me?_

Well, that's it for this chapter. Is it just me, or did this chapter seem short?

Guy- It's short. But no one cares.

Matthew- No, I think they do. Only you don't care.

Kirby- Poyo.

FireEdge- Right, whatever. Next chapter, it's the beginning of Hector's quest! Basically, it's the "Noble Lady of Caelin" chapter. Until next time!

Guy- Don't forget to review, or we'll never hear the end of it…

--FireEdge--


	9. Chapter 9

Matthew: We're terribly sorry for the long, long update. But FireEdge was obsessed with her new video game Tales of Symphonia. Of course, we devoted muses managed—

Guy: Barely!

Matthew: to pry her away from her precious Game Cube.

FireEdge: Let me go! Let me go! Must go kick Mithos's sorry ass! NOOOO!

Guy: Good thing we locked her door.

FireEdge: … My room doesn't _have_ a lock…

Matthew: … Now it does…

Reviews:

TheOneAndOnlyT: Eh…. This isn't fast is it? Sorry…. Oh, and as for the romance thing…. It has to get worse before it gets better, right? Don't worry, it's all part of my sinister plan. Muahahahahaha!

Matthew: You gave her sugar didn't you?

Guy: No, I didn't!

Lord Cynic: I'm doing that too, but I do them in Hector's and Eliwood's… Hey, I hope you didn't drown when you fell in that water…

Ragnarok: Don't worry, it takes a lot more to insult me! :P And yes, the charm is very twisted isn't it? Twisted as in strange, not twisted as in… twisted…

Ed, the Master Tactician: Wow, that's an awesome compliment! Thanks! Oh, but don't kick yourself, we all have to agree with Guy at least once in our pathetic lives.

Guy: Hey! I resent that!

Fallen-Angel-Kaeko: Yes that does suck. And as for Guy, I don't hate him. He's my favourite character in FE7 and is sometimes my strongest. He hates me. As for being mean to him… ¬¬ It's Ed's fault, I swear! Ahh! Run away! (No offence Ed, if that was an offence…)

tactic mageXD: Thanks!

Serenade.EXE(x3): Really, you used some of the same strategies as me? Go figure.

Legolasgirl15: Thank you. But Florina doesn't really have doubts on their relationship, it's sort of like an amnesia thing.

katelynn: Nope, as you can see it doesn't end at 8 chapters!

FireEdge: Finally! The reviews are done! Wow, I got a lot of them, yay!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Stray Arrow

Chapter 9

"If we are to avoid being caught, the best path would be through the forest. Shall I go?" Wil stated, as they devised the best way to get to Laus and ask Eliwood and company for help. They knew they could not retake Castle Caelin back on their own. Laus' troops were far to many.

"I suspect you're right. Horses cannot move well in woods. It'll take you awhile, but you can travel lightly…" Lyn replied with a nod.

"Lady Lyndis! I'll go! I can fly above the forest. I can be in Laus faster than anyone else." Florina interrupted. Lyn turned to the pegasus knight in surprise.

"Florina? You can't do this on your own! It's not possible!" Florina shook her head.

"Thanks to my time here, I'm no longer as timid around men as I used to be. And I've met Lord Eliwood before. I'm sure I can do this on my own." Wil blinked in slight surprise at what she said. _You say you're not as afraid of men anymore, but why do you continue to push me away? You talk to me now, but…_

"This will be dangerous, you understand, Florina?"

"Yes. But… I promised to be braver for you! I'm not the weak little Florina you used to know."

"Fine. I trust you, Florina. You've convinced me. Just promise me you won't try anything impossible."

"Yes, milady. Farewell!" With that, she took off. Wil let out a small sigh. _Are you lying to me, Florina? Do you not love me anymore? _Suddenly Sain spoke out.

"Did you hear our meek Florina? She sounded most forceful! Beautiful!"

"She's become a full-fledged pegasus knight." Kent added.

"Yes, she has." Said Lyn. Not wanting to look strange, Wil put on a fake smile and also put in his own comment.

"All for you, Lady Lyndis. That's quite gallant." Lyn nodded, and watched the small speck, which was Florina, fly into the distance. They all stood waiting for her return. Still following her with his eyes, Wil let out a gasp.

"No! Archers! They're shooting at her!!!"

"What?!" Lyn looked to where Wil was pointing. A moment later, they saw her figure fall from the sky.

"No!" They all let out a yell.

"Do you think she survived…?" Wil asked, biting his lip.

"I-I hope so… we'll just have to go see…" Replied Lyn.

"But what of the castle, milady?" Kent inquired. Sain nodded.

"Do you think it would be a good idea, moving out now?"

"What choice do we have? We must see if Florina is alive." Lyn answered plainly. The all nodded and started carefully but slowly through the forest. As they progressed deeper, they heard the sound of twigs snapping.

"Be careful." Kent hissed, moving forward. Suddenly a fireball was hurled at them and scorched the ground in front of them.

"Pull back! Mages!" Kent yelled. As they turned to run, they heard an all too familiar voice.

"Erk, are you blind?! You nearly scorched Lady Lyndis!" Serra screeched.

"Serra?! Erk?! Is that you?" Lyn exclaimed. The cleric and mage stepped into their range of vision at the call of their names.

"Fancy meeting you here!" Sain smiled.

"Er… sorry about the fireball…" Replied a red-faced Erk. Lyn just smiled.

"At least you aren't an enemy."

"Did you see Florina?" Wil demanded, unable to hold it in any longer.

"Florina?" Asked Serra. "Yes, she was the one that notified us of where you were!"

"But we saw her getting shot at by archers."

"Oh, yes. That did give us quite a scare, but Lord Hector managed to catch her." Serra chirped.

"Lord Hector?" They all asked in unison.

"Don't worry, you'll get to meet him after we reclaim the castle for you!" As Serra said, they soon had beaten the knight guarding the castle, Bauker.

Wil then took the opportunity to find Florina. Walking through the mass of unfamiliar people he soon found the pegasus knight, standing alone, staring at something.

"Florina?" He approached her from behind. The girl whirled around at the call of her name. She blinked once and shook her head.

"Um… hello Wil."

"What are you looking at?" He asked, following her gaze from before, he found that she was staring at a big blue-haired man clad in heavy armor. "Who's he?"

"Um… that's… Lord Hector… he saved me when I, um, fell…" Florina blushed as she said that. Looking at her from the corner of his eye, Wil's spirits fell. _Does she love him, just because he saved her? But I've saved her before too…_

"Well, I'm glad you're okay…" He replied sadly. _I can probably never compare to him. He's strong, rich… I'm just a village boy…_

"Florina! Wil!" They turned to see Lyn calling them.

"Let's go Florina, Lady Lyndis is probably worried about you."

"Yes…"

All right… that was a crappy chapter, but it was necessary… I'll try and get the next (and hopefully better) chapter up by the end of this week… Don't worry I've almost beaten ToS, so I won't be that occupied. :P

Guy: Ya right. This chapter was so boring, people will most likely ditch you!

Matthew: I hope not. I don't get to hit Guy if they ditch you… :(

FireEdge: Um… Please review… It looks like it's gonna be HectorFlorina like, but it's not… just the way the story goes. The romance will come back in another chapter or so, so please bear with me!

--FireEdge--


	10. Chapter 10

Hey, who's happy that I actually updated early?

Guy: Not me!

Matthew: Why are you asking us?

FireEdge: I'm not!

Reviews:

Squallsgurl: I have no idea why they didn't make them a support, maybe they didn't notice that Wil and Florina would make a good couple.

TheOneAndOnlyT: Ya, I kinda slacked off last chapter, but I think this one's less… (for lack of a better word) boring.

Ed, the Master Tactician: Actually, I'm not to familiar with RP's on the internet, so I'm not entirely sure what to tell you. Oh yeah, Matthew, have fun!

Matthew: Now where did I put that sword? …Here it is!!!

Guy: Ack! No fair! Whoa! AHH!

Lord Cynic: Ouch…

Ragnarok: Yeah, I feel sorry for Wil too. Hmm… I think I just might fly back to my gamecube too after I finish the chapter. Oh, yes and thanks for reviewing my new ToS fic!

FireEdge: Okay, the speech with Uhai in this chapter, is going to sound funny, because it's half from the game and half from my memory/imagination. My GBA was not co-operating with me, so if the talk there sounds weird, I apologize.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Stray Arrow

Chapter 10

Wil sighed as he stepped off the plank and onto solid ground again. The boat ride wasn't that bad, he was surprised he hadn't gotten seasick like Guy, whom was looking miserable the entire ride here. But when the hull was breached and the Black Fang attacked, it was enough to make even the strongest stomach a bit queasy.

As he waited for everyone to get off the ship, Wil took the opportunity to check if his bowstring had gotten damp from the ride here, even though it had done fairly good in the battle. He also noticed that the fog on the island was quite thick, meaning that there could be a surprise attack on them any moment. Deciding to replace his bowstring just to be safe, he sat down as did some other troops while the lords, and Elfaiya scouted a little ways ahead. _I wonder how Florina faired during the ride?_ He hadn't seen much of the pegasus knight during the boat ride. Glimpses of her during the fight were all he saw of her. Looking around, the archer soon spotted the young girl standing with her pegasus off to one side._ I might as well talk to her… It's not like I have anything else to do…_ Standing up, Wil walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey, Florina. How was the boat ride for you?"

"Um… it was okay… I'd never been on a boat before, so it was kind of exciting, I guess…" She replied.

"Yeah, it was definitely different." Wil replied. Squinting at the fog he spoke up again. "This fog is pretty thick… I hope we don't have to fight in this weather…"

"Yes, I hope Lady Lyndis gets back soon."

"Yeah." As if answering their thoughts, the lords and tactician could be seen returning.

"Well, there they are now." Wil spoke aloud. "Hmm… they don't look particularly happy. I wonder what they found?"

"Um… Well, we could, um, go ask them…" Suggested Florina.

"Yes, let's go!" As they started towards the lords, a figure suddenly emerged from the thick forest. Lyn was lifted from the ground as the man grabbed her by the waist and held a knife to her neck.

"Kyaa!" Lyn screamed.

"…If you value her life, send the girl to me." The man demanded.

"You--You're Sacaen!" She gasped in surprise.

"Yes, I am Uhai, of the Black Fang."

"Why are you working for the Black Fang?!" Asked Lyn.

"I believe in what Brendan Reed strives for. " Uhai replied "But you are of Sacae, also." Suddenly Uhai dropped her to the ground.

"You're… letting me go?"

"Holding hostages is dishonourable. I will let you die with a sword in your hands. But mark my words, you will die here." With that the nomad rode back to where he came from.

"Lady Lyndis! Are you okay!" Florina ran up to Lyn, who was slowly getting off the ground.

"I'm fine, Florina… Come, let's get ready to fight."

"Alright, Elfaiya. Let's find that guy and beat him at his own game!" Commanded Hector. The tactician nodded. Yelling out orders, they were soon ready and heading off to battle.

But as Wil ran ahead, torch in hand, his sharp ears heard the flapping of wings. Turning his head, he saw a pegasus knight flying from the distance. _Wait, that's not Florina. Is this new pegasus knight a friend or foe?_ It seemed that the stranger caught more than just Wil's eyes. For most stopped to glance at the newcomer. One of the units that saw her was in fact, Florina.

"S-Sister?!" Florina gasped, flying up to the new pegasus knight. "Fiora, is that really you?"

"Florina… what are you doing here?" The young, aqua-locked woman asked.

"I'm here protecting Lady Lyndis. What are you doing here? Why are you all alone?"

"I was on a mission. I_ had_ a whole unit of pegasus knights… but because of me, they're all dead now. I must avenge them." Fiora replied, a sad, but determined look on her face. The talk between the sisters continued on, but Wil could not listen, for the enemy was soon advancing towards them and his attention needed to be focused on the fight. But from what he had just heard, he knew that this new pegasus knight was an ally that they could definitely depend on. He hoped that Florina could convince her sister to join them. Without help, Fiora might kill herself. And that would break Florina's heart. That he could not bear to see. But he soon saw the new recruit fighting alongside her sister, letting Wil fight on in peace.

After a long fight, they soon approached the place where Uhai awaited them. Elfaiya seemed cautious in letting them get to close, and the winged units as well as the ones who had a weaker defence were left further behind to deal with reinforcements. Wil was placed in-between. Elfaiya couldn't seem to decide exactly where to put him, so she told him stay alert and to await her orders.

From where the archer stood, he was still able to help fight a few enemies. He was also able to get a good view of the battle versus Uhai. Wil could hear and see Guy, whom Elfaiya took along; saying he was her "decoy", yelling in anger. He hadn't understood what she had meant by that but now saw that the tactician was using Guy to distract Uhai, making him use his longbow to shoot at him. Unfortunately for the nomad, the speedy myrmidon was dodging every single arrow. Then from the shadows, Wil could see Lyn sneaking up behind Uhai, her Mani Katti glinting dangerously in her hands. Before he knew it, the nomad was crippled onto the ground, on the brink of death. After a few words, that Wil could not hear, it was all over.

Soon they were on their way again, apparently Uhai had given them, with his last breathe, the directions to the Dragon's Gate. Since they were all walking or flying low and slowly as not to attract attention, Wil took the opportunity to have a talk with Florina's sister, Fiora.

"Hello, nice to meet you." He greeted as he fell into step beside the pegasus.

"Likewise, my friend. May I ask who you might be?" Fiora replied.

"I am Wil, an archer in the service of Lady Lyndis. And you are Fiora, am I correct?" Wil answered with a cheery smile. The other nodded.

"Do you know my sister? She also works for Lady Lyndis."

"Yes… I know Florina very well… She is… my dear… friend…" Though he tried to hide his emotions, his happy mask slipped slightly as Florina was mentioned. _Yes, she's just a dear friend now. Not the love of my life…Not anymore…_

"You are close friends with my younger sister? Then I suppose that this means that she is finally getting over her fear of men."

"Ah… she is slightly… but she is still nervous, even around me…" Wil replied.

"Oh… I do hope she will learn to come over her fears… She cannot live in terror of men forever." Fiora frowned.

"I hope so too." Agreed the archer. _I hope so too…_

FireEdge: Somebody tell me if that chapter was better than the last one… please… cuz I worked hard on that.

Guy: I'm sure you did.

FireEdge: I did! It took me like three days to think that up.

Guy: That's pathetic!

Matthew: Who cares, it's not like it's up to you, Guy. It's the decision of the reviewers!

Guy: But, why do half the decisions end up with me in a hospital?!

FireEdge: No clue… Please review!

--FireEdge--


	11. Chapter 11

Okay, here's the next chapter! I can't tell if it took me long or not to update… I lost track of the time.

Guy: You mean you were too busy with your new fic in the ToS section!!!

Matthew: Don't you dare abandon us, or I'll tie you to your chair!

FireEdge: I'm not going to! I'm just lazy and I had to think of how to try and get more romance in this chapter.

Guy: I'm sure.

Reviews:

Legolasgirl15I: They will… eventually… just stay tuned.

Ed, the Master Tactician: You can give me the URL for the RPG thing if you want it doesn't matter to me either way. Anyway, thanks for the compliment… and the Aureola tome. Shame I have no idea how to use it… But… it _is_ as thick as a dictionary!

-=BAM! Drops it on Guy's head=-

Guy: Ow… X.x

Squallsgurl: Thank you!

Lord Cynic: Wow, that's a long time… and Uhai, to me, is only annoying if he has a Killing Edge equipped, other than that, he's pretty much a pushover. :)

Ragnarok-legend: Nice to see that you got an account! Have a nice holiday… it wouldn't really matter saying that would it? You'd probably be back by the time you read this, so…

TheOneAndOnlyT: I'm sorry if I'm bugging you with the lack of romance. Hopefully it will be romancy enough this chapter…

ErkTheSlayer: Actually I have no clue.

Duelist of Middle Earth: Guy tends to have more speed, skill and luck than Karel. Though Karel's strength and defence/resistance is better. But I still use Guy. And yeah, I get mad at him too. Like when Wyvern riders come swooping down on him in hordes and he gets killed because of his measly defence… Anyway, thanks for the review! Oh and your muse, he can have fun with Guy later… when he comes out of recovery…

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Stray Arrow

Chapter 11

Oh wow, it's really hot in this desert. Florina thought as she flew along with the rest of the troops. They were apparently looking for a "living legend." Who or what that was, no one was sure. Everything had passed so fast these past days, no one was sure of _anything_ anymore. They had battled the Marquess of Laus, Darin. Then found out that Nergal was trying to bring dragons back to the world. After Marquess Pherae died, Lord Eliwood sunk in depression, and Lord Hector then took charge over the army. Following their return to Badon, they met with Marquess Ostia. That's when they were told to come here, to Nabata Desert.

Soon the group stopped for another break. All the troops were having a hard time in the hot weather. Especially those with armour and those with horses. The horses' hooves sunk into the sand and caused them to move at a slower rate then usual. Of course, the winged units like herself, her sister and one of their newest recruits, Heath a wyvern rider, had no trouble. The magic users too, seemed to be having an easy time. The desert seemed to spur their magic and they stepped quick and lightly upon the shimmering sands. As they all took whisks from their canteens, the lords and tactician, as usual, went to scout ahead. Before she knew it, Elfaiya came running back yelling out orders to move out and prepare for battle.

"All right, all calvary, stay back! You are not needed in this battle! Winged units, and magic users: front lines! Foot troops, support from the back. Our mission is to defeat the enemy and protect that man!" They all followed the tactician's finger to a lone sage in the distance. Many enemy units were clustered around him and more seemed to be coming. Upon receiving their orders, the army charged forward and started their assault.

Florina thanked her high resistance as she took down mage after mage. There seemed to be an endless amount of them. Thunder strikes flew down at her from every angle. If she dodged one, another would come and hit her. She was lost in the heat of battle, and a sea of red cloaks. The pegasus knight was barely aware of anything else going on, other than the enemy in front of her. Even the sensation of healing magic coursing through her were only minor tingles. Eventually the mages were all gone. Most of the enemies were being driven back and the man they were protecting was safe. She also spotted a new ally. He was a big man with a large axe. She wasn't too sure who he was, but saw that he was killing the enemies, and not them.

The young girl then proceeded to fly ahead and help fight another group of wyvern riders clustered around Canas, Serra and a couple of foot troops that she could not quite make out yet. Arriving on the scene Florina threw her javelin and skewered a wyvern rider, much to the relief of her comrades. Now she realized that the other two foot units were Matthew, apparently under the orders to find hidden treasure. And the last was Wil.

"Thanks for coming, Florina! I didn't think we could hold on any longer!" Serra exclaimed dramatically. Florina blushed.

"Um… I-I only killed one enemy…"

"Oh… does it really matter? Now we can get rid of these annoying pests faster!" Serra shrugged, dodging the thrust of a lance.

"Yes, the more the merrier!" Piped in Matthew.

"You aren't even doing anything!" Serra retorted.

"I'm digging up treasure!" He leaned down and dug around in the sand, suddenly his hands closed on something. "Hey! I found something!" Lifting it up, they saw that it was a black book.

"Ah! It's a Luna tome. Mind if I borrow that?" Canas smiled. The thief shrugged.

"You're the only one who can use it."

"Shouldn't we be focusing on the enemy?" Wil spoke for the first time as he shot another enemy that was approaching them. He turned to face the others. When he did, his eyes met Florina's. As she stared into those brown eyes, memories sparked in her mind. Of them standing together, in a dark corridor. Of a starlit night, with the moon shining up above them. Suddenly a sharp pain tugged at her heart. One of sorrow, sorrow of losing the one you loved. She could see that pain in Wil's eyes._ Is… is this what Wil is feeling…? But how can I know what he is feeling?_

"Oh, yes! Of course!" Canas replied absentmindedly as he started reading from the new magic tome. As he said that Florina was snapped from her thoughts and she looked away from Wil with a slight blush on her face. She hoped that no one saw them staring at each other. Especially Serra, though she knew that the cleric was a good person, rumours around the camp usually started from her.

"Um… yeah…" She nodded in agreement to try and distract them from her reddened face. Of course that didn't work so well.

"Florina! Your face is all flushed!" Serra stated. This caused Florina to redden further.

"Um… I-I think the heat… um, is… uh, getting to… me…" She replied in a quiet voice. Turning, she quickly busied herself with an enemy.

"Hmm…" Serra frowned. "You should be careful then… we don't want you to collapse from the heat, I suppose…"

"Yes, Serra's right." Wil added slowly. "The heat can be dangerous… Be careful." Florina nodded fervently, hoping that her face wasn't even more flushed than before. Luckily for the young pegasus knight, Matthew stepped on something and yelled.

"Ack! My foot's caught on something!" That drew everyone's attention, including the enemies. Lifting his foot up, he pulled out a strange ring like object.

"Hmm, a body ring…"

"Great going, Matthew! You just attracted a whole new gang of enemies!" Serra shrieked.

"Ehehe, whoops… I'll just be… leaving now!" The thief then took off into the distance, laughing. They would have probably continued to stare in disbelief all day if Canas had not brought them back to reality with the fact that the horde of enemies were, once again, headed their way.

"Ah, ahem! The enemy seems to be approaching…"

"We know that!" Snapped Serra. "But how many are there?!" Wil squinted as he scanned the distant dunes.

"Hmm about 10-15 of them I'd say… This should be fun."

"Uh… maybe we should try and find other people… maybe we'd, um… have an easier time fighting?" Florina asked quietly.

"That's a good idea. Strength in numbers." Nodded Canas. "I think I see some people of in that direction." The others quickly agreed and started off in the area Canas had pointed to.

As they slowly trudged along, they didn't seem to find anyone, despite Canas's objections. Not wanting another argument, Florina spoke up.

"Um… I-I could fly ahead and see if there's, um… anyone else up there…"

"Okay, you do that then Florina." Replied Serra. "It's much easier if we just scout ahead instead of wandering aimlessly."

"O-okay. I'm off then…" With that, Florina slowly lifted off from the ground and started flying north. Wil frowned.

"Do you think it's really okay to let her go by herself? There _are_ archers here… I don't want her to get shot or anything." He asked, keeping his voice as casual as possible.

"That _is_ a good point." Canas replied. "Why don't you go after her, Wil? Serra and I will wait for your return." Giving a quick nod, Wil ran as fast as he could to catch up to the pegasus knight. Keeping up a steady pace, he soon caught sight of Florina in the distance. Taking in a deep breath he quickened his steps and ran faster. Soon he was almost underneath her. He saw that her head was turning this way and that, trying to locate the others for some reinforcement. She wasn't really paying much attention to the enemies on the ground, therefor she didn't spot an archer hiding underneath a small cliff face, and arrow aimed at her.

"Florina!" Wil yelled, seeing the glint of the arrow-tip.

"Huh?" The pegasus knight's head whipped around at the call of her name, and let out a cry as she saw the arrow flying towards her.

"No, watch out!" But it was too late, the arrow was going too fast for her to evade. Her pegasus let out a loud whinny of pain as the shaft sunk into the tender flesh underneath its wing. One wing injured, the pegasus along with his rider fell from the sky.

"Florina!" He started to run up to her when he let out another gasp. Apparently he was not the only one who had spotted the girl falling from the sky. A big warrior was running up to her, his axe glinted dangerously and it was clear that he was about to kill her. "NO!" Wil unslung a longbow from his back and aimed at the man. The warrior, which was known as Paul directed his gaze to Wil. Paul then started towards Wil, hefting his silver axe. Wil switched to his newly acquired killer bow and with a twirl of an arrow shot the warrior with a powerful hit.

"Ugh…" Florina groaned as she weakly sat up. "Oh no, are you okay Huey?" She stroked her pegasus. Turning around she saw the huge warrior. Then she was that he was heading directly towards…

"Wil!" She yelled. It was obvious that the warrior had originally been after her. But the cheery archer must have distracted him. Florina tried to stand up but fell back down again. "I-I have to help him!" She attempted once more to stand but to no avail. _He's going to be killed if that axe hits him!_

In seconds, Paul was right in front of the archer. He lifted up his axe, Wil tried to back up, but tripped over a pile of bones.

"Arg." He landed with a thump onto the sand. His eyes widened as the axe started descending on him.

"NO!!" A voice screamed, the yell echoed in his head and a blaring light blinded him. _Florina…_ He didn't know what the light was, but he braced himself for the blow that was sure to come, but heard the sound of the axe hit what sounded like steel. Opening his eyes, he let out a gasp. What he saw was the silver axe connected to what seemed like a green sheet of light. The light then slowly dimmed and the barrier disappeared.

"What…" Both he and Paul muttered. Wil then felt a heat upon his chest, looking down he saw that the elusive charm was glowing faintly. _The charm…_ But before he could ponder anything any further, a different voice called out.

"Hey, ugly, try picking on someone your own size!" What had come was exactly what they needed, a small group of their army. Raven was standing in the lead, he was the one who had called out. Charging down, he finished Paul off with two slashes of his steel sword.

"You both okay?" He walked over and extended his hand to Wil.

"Se-senior Raven!" Wil exclaimed. He thought he saw the mercenary's eye twitch, but he said nothing. Accepting the hand, he thanked Raven and turned towards Florina.

"Florina! Are you okay?" He ran over and knelt beside her. Florina looked up at Wil, her face pale.

"W-Wil… What was that light…?"

"Hmm… I don't know… But we're both alive."

"Yes, you're both well, but we should get you both to Serra." Came Erk's response.

"Yeah. She's off that way." Wil pointed to the direction they had come from.

"I'll get her. You two stay put. It looks like Florina's pegasus can't move anyway." Erk nodded. _That was close…But this little charm never ceases to amaze me… What _is_ this thing?_ Wil thought to himself.

"Wil?" Florina asked meekly.

"Hm? Yes?"

"I-I'm glad you're safe…" Wil blinked in surprise, but smiled.

"Thank you, Florina." He replied, using his thumb he wiped away a tear that had started to fall down her face. "Don't cry, we're all okay now. And your pegasus will be fine too."

FireEdge: AHHHHH! My hand! Cramp, cramp, cramp!

Guy: Shut up!

FireEdge: Right. There's a long long long chapter. It doesn't have as much romance as I thought it would have…

Matthew: Seems more actiony to me… Wait! I sound so… bad in there!

Guy: Hehehe, loser. -=Gets blasted by Flux=-

Canas: Oops.

Matthew: Hehehe. Who's the loser now? Thanks Duelist of Middle Earth, your muse is quite helpful. See! He's in this chapter too!

Canas: Okay, bye! -=Poof. Goes back to wherever he came from=-

FireEdge: -=Sigh=- Not really romantic, but it's starting to build up again, so hopefully next chapter there will be a lot of it… But it was long, so I hope that made up for it. Right, next chapter might once again be awhile, for I have to keep up with my other fics, which I have half neglected… Until next time, please review!

--FireEdge--


	12. Chapter 12

Alright, I'm back and with another update! Hmm, I updated earlier than I expected…

Guy: Already?! Crap…

Matthew: Well at least we didn't have to go drag her to the computer to update…

FireEdge: You guys are really mean you know that?

Guy/Matthew: That's our job! :)

Reviews:

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Squallsgurl: Ya, I know. It's a miracle! Haha, I'm just joking.

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TheOneAndOnlyT: Yup, the romance is coming back! But there isn't too much this chapter for it's one of those explanation chapters… but it'll be there next chapter! And thank you for the compliment about Serra and Matthew.

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Lord Cynic: Haha, that was… strange… and yes, Matthew is a troublemaker isn't he?

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Ed, the Master Tactician: I agree with you on the muses… they're so messed up… But about that RPG thing… I joined it, but then I realized that I had no idea what to do… I feel stupid…

Guy: Haha!

FireEdge: Shut up, or I'll hit you with Aureola!!!

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aliya: Thanks for reviewing!

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Rockie1: Ya, that chapter's annoying as hell in Eliwood's hard mode…

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Duelist of Middle Earth: You're welcome! And those archers are currently chasing Guy around my house. They work better than Aureola. :) Oh, and Guy now currently has a black eye.

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ErkTheSlayer: Nice!!! Hehehe. Guy! Where are you?!

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Ragnarok-legend: Hey, nice to have you back! And this chapter we will finally find out what that twisted charm REALLY is!

FireEdge: Okay, some strange stuff coming up this chapter. In it I have some stuff about Barigan, all of it is made up. I have no clue as to Barigan's history and such, so… yeah… Right, on to the chapter. Also if anyone knows anything about Barigan (that is accurate) please tell me… a picture would be nice also…

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

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Stray Arrow

Chapter 12

Wil leaned against one of the walls of the temple like building they were in. The place was cool and quiet, unlike the blazing hot desert they had just been fighting in. He was quite happy that they could finally rest, for it was definitely a tiring battle, not to mention nerve racking situations they had been in. Either way he was just content with what peace he had at the moment.

Florina was okay, and her pegasus was being tended by the healers. Meanwhile the lords and Elfaiya were talking with the "living legend" that turned out to be Athos, one of the 8 Generals. It was quite amazing really. He would have never thought that one of them could actually be alive. The archer wondered how the other Generals would be like.

Suddenly Elfaiya came out of the room from which she along with the lords had been talking in. The rest of the army raised their heads expectantly.

"No, we're not finished in there yet. But right now they're talking about our next course of action." Elfaiya answered. Everyone then resumed what he or she was doing. She rolled her eyes and slumped down to the ground with fatigue.

"You okay, Elfaiya?" Wil, whom was sitting next to her, asked.

"Ah, I'm fine. Just tired like the rest of you."

"Shouldn't you be in there with Lady Lyndis and the rest of them?" He inquired. She shrugged.

"I've heard all I needed to hear. Lyn'll fill me in later, anyway I have a splitting headache. Not to mention, I'm trying to figure out what this does." She held up a small crystalline bottle. "Athos gave this to me. He said it was called Afa's Drops. He said to give it to any unit I want to. But I don't know what it does."

"Beats me. Why don't you just pick a unit and give it them?"

"… Good idea…" She replied. "Hmm… why don't you take it then?"

"Huh?! What?!" Wil exclaimed in surprise.

"Well, you just said pick any unit, and you seem appropriate. Anyway, it's not like there's a difference in who I give it to, so you take it." She handed him the small vial. Wil blinked at the bottle in his hands.

"I-I don't know about this Elfaiya…" He stammered. The tactician sighed.

"Fine, if you don't want it, give it to Florina or something…"

"…" Wil turned red at the thought.

"Wil, work with me here! Use it, or don't use it." Elfaiya said with exasperation. But Wil still stared blankly ahead, blinking. "Okay, you think about it for awhile… Oh, crap. There go Guy and Matthew… I'd better stop them before they break something…" She then stood up and strode across the large room towards the fighting pair, leaving Wil alone and confused. _What am I so surprised for? She knew about Florina and me for a while now…I guess it just feels so weird when someone else says stuff like that. Hmm, well it's not such a bad idea. She doesn't seem to ignore me anymore, so… why not?_

Wil then stood up and started looking around the room for the pegasus knight. He then spotted Florina with her sister Fiora in a corner, talking. He started walking towards them when someone yelled,

"DUCK!" His head spun and he let out a yell, barely dodging a giant vase that was hurled through the air. A loud crash could be heard behind him as the vase connected with the wall.

"IDIOTS!" He heard Elfaiya scream followed by a loud 'thwack.' Looking up, he saw Matthew and Guy looking scared as hell as their tactician hit them both over the head with a large book (Canas looked very offended) and she continued yelling at them. Glancing behind him, he saw the remnants of the vase, scattered all over the polished floor. It looked to be quite an ancient and valuable artifact.

"Wil, are you okay?" Florina, who had seen the whole scene, came over to him. She then blushed when she heard her older sister let out a small giggle. Luckily everyone was quite focused on Elfaiya dealing punishment to Matthew and Guy.

"What's going on out here?" Eliwood demanded as he along with the other lords and Athos stepped out of the room they had been in. When they're eyes fell upon the strange scenes before them, all the lords jaws dropped.

"What in all of Elibe happened in here?!" Hector looked around the room incredulously.

"Matthew and Guy broke a vase!" Serra chirped.

"They did what?!" Exclaimed Lyn. Eliwood shook his head.

"I-I'm terribly sorry, Lord Athos. Please forgive my troops. I'm sure they didn't mean to break your belongings."

"We-we're sorry!" The thief and the myrmidon both stammered simultaneously.

"And you two almost hit Wil on the head too!" Elfaiya added.

"Uh… sorry, Wil…"

"That's better." The tactician replied. Wil let out a sigh as he stood up and leaned over to brush off his legs. As he did so, the charm fell from his shirt collar. Athos's eyes widened slightly when his eyes caught the light glinting off the small star.

"Ah, young man." The Archsage addressed the archer. "That charm around your neck…" Wil looked up, surprised.

"My-my necklace?"

"Yes, Son of Roland, where did you acquire that?" Athos asked curiously.

"Um, Florina gave it to me…" He replied. Beside him, Florina blushed furiously. The man then turned to face the young pegasus knight.

"Then you must be Florina… curious…" The rest of the group stared at the Archsage, but a glare from their tactician told them to mind their own business. Though it was obvious some still listened. Elfaiya walked up to the trio.

"What's curious, Archsage?"

"Well, you see, that charm there… it belonged to Barigan…"

"B-Barigan?!" Florina gasped. "Y-You don't m-mean…"

"Yes, in fact I do mean that Barigan." Replied Athos. "But what I'd like to know is how you came across it…"

"Why? Was it hidden somewhere before…?" Inquired Elfaiya. Wil nodded in agreement. But the Archsage shook his head.

"No… it was buried with Barigan when he died…"

"Wh-what… how…" The archer's eyes widened.

"Where did you find that, Florina?" Athos asked.

"Um… I-I bought it at a shop in Lycia…" Stuttered Florina.

"So… what _is_ this charm exactly?" Asked Elfaiya.

"Yes… it seems to have some strange powers… it's saved me and Florina countless times." Wil added. Athos closed his eyes in thought.

"Before the Scouring, Barigan fell in love with a beautiful young woman. She had long lavender hair and bright blue eyes. Her father was a jeweller, and she had asked him to make her a charm. She being gifted with magic infused the charm with magical properties to protect Barigan. But during the Scouring, she died of an illness. Barigan kept the charm as a memento of her and was buried with it once he had passed away." All three stared at Athos eyes wide in disbelief. _That woman that Barigan fell in love with… She sounds just like Florina…_ Elfaiya thought. Looking at her comrades, she knew that they were thinking the same thing.

"If it was buried with him… how did the charm wind up in a shop where Florina bought it?" Wil spoke their thoughts. The Archsage frowned.

"I don't know… it could have been fate…"

"Fate…?" They stood in silence contemplating what they had just learned. Finally Athos broke the silence.

"Well, I suppose there's no use in standing here all day. You all have a mission to complete. You should get going."

"Right…"

Alright, a very short chapter, but I hope it explained some things. Or it might have not explained anything and just made it more confusing…

Matthew: Hey! What is with you and making me and Guy--I speak on his behalf as he is unavailable at the moment-- looking like idiots!

FireEdge: You two fit the role. And I found it funny. Hehehe.

Guy: X.x

Kirby: Poyo! -=Holds up "Please review" sign=-

--FireEdge--


	13. Chapter 13

I… am… so… bored…

Guy: So you decided to take out your boredom on this fic?

FireEdge: Um… yeah…

Matthew: Well, I guess an update's an update…

FireEdge: You bet…

Reviews:

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TheOneAndOnlyT: Actually, I'm not too sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing… And Matthew and Guy were fighting because… actually, I have no clue about that either… it was just appropriate…

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Wandering Cat: Afa's Drops rises your growth rate for each stat by 5%. And Barigan is the General from Ilia. He founded the Knights of Ilia.

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Kratos Aurion: Thanks for reviewing!

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ErkTheSlayer: Read above… Do that people really not know who Barigan is? Anyway, thanks for the various weapons and review!

FireEdge: Guy! Open the closet!

Guy: What? Why? -=Opens the door. And guess what falls on top of him?=-

Guy: Ow… X.x

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Martin: Thanks for reviewing!

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Legolasgirl5: Thank you!

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Lord Cynic: Tsk, tsk. You know you shouldn't chase after the cute little puffballs! Now give Kirby a hug!

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Ed, the Master Tactician: Thank you for clearing up the RPG thing for me. ;;

Guy: Man, he said "nice" a lot this review. Let's see… one, two, three, four, five--

Matthew: Shut up! There's only three!

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Wyrmseeker: Whoa, really?! Thanks so much! I didn't realize it was that good!

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Ragnarok-legend: Read above (my reply to Wandering Cat).

FireEdge: Oh yeah, and I'm assuming that Afa's Drops are drinkable. Because if they're not, then I'll end up poisoning someone…

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

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Stray Arrow

Chapter 13

The army waited uneasily, peering through the thick fog of Bern. Most of them never thought that they would find themselves in the famed country so known for their military. But here they were, right in the middle of it, waiting for Lord Pent and Lady Louise to return from the Castle. The lords also left, to find out information for themselves in the nearby town. Now everyone else was left to wait. It was nothing new; they were quite used to this by now anyway.

Florina leaned on her pegasus's neck, revelling in the warmth that it gave her. She sighed. Her mind wandered back to what Athos had said. Was she really the reincarnation of Barigan's long lost lover? How did that charm end up in that shop in Lycia when it had lied in Barigan's grave for more than a million years? And if it was really fate, why did it choose her?

Her mind was clouded with too many questions, and she soon lost track of her surroundings, sinking into her own world. She almost fell asleep if it were not for a hand on her shoulder.

"Florina?" Her eyes opened lazily, and she blinked as her vision cleared. It was Wil, but he looked different. Did he have a change of clothes? For some reason he seemed stronger than before.

"You look… different…" She murmured. Wil smiled at the comment.

"Uh, yeah. Elfaiya was digging around in Merlinus's tent and she found some interesting things. One of them was an Orion's Bolt."

"Orion's… Bolt?" Florina's head tilted slightly. He let out a chuckle.

"It's an item used by veteran archers to show that they're stronger than most. It marks them as snipers."

"Oh! Con-congratulations!" She stammered, sitting up straight and looking Wil up and down with new found curiosity. She was right, he did have a change of clothes. His tunic was adorned with a gold fringe and his armour was larger and thicker, as was his boots. His quiver was also bigger and decorated. He also had a new bow strapped to his back. "Wow… I wonder if I'll ever get promoted…"

"Of course you will. It just takes a matter of time." Wil smiled. "Oh, yeah! I almost forgot! Here, I want you to have this." He reached behind him, into his pouch and pulled out a small bottle. He pressed the little blue bottle into her hands. Florina blushed slightly.

"Um, th-thank you! But what is it?"

"It's called Afa's Drops. Elfaiya gave it to me. Neither of us know what it is either." Replied Wil. "But it can't be anything bad, afterall, Achsage Athos did give it to her."

"Um… okay, I-I'll try it out."She opened the top and drank the liquid inside of it. Closing, the top, she felt a tingle run through her body. She didn't feel any different. But she had this sense that felt like that of when she grows an inch.

"Hmm, I wonder what it did…" Wil wondered aloud. But before they could continue their conversation, their tactician yelled out orders to get ready for battle.

"Looks like we're going to have to fight in fog… Be careful." Said Wil to Florina before he ran off to take his position in the battlefield. She took in a deep breath and flew off to join the other winged units for the upcoming fight.

_Wow, this new bow's fantastic! I swear, the enemies are practically a piece of cake!_ Wil thought to himself as he drew another arrow and shot a nearby enemy myrmidon. Looking around he tried to determine the right direction to go in. Elfaiya had clearly stated to head north towards the castle. But that was easier said than done. He had already gotten lost in the blasted fog. Of course he had been careless enough to forget a torch.

Letting out a sigh, he decided to just walk forward. It was eerie as he walked slowly, his boots crunching lightly upon the wet grass.

"Has everyone gotten _that_ ahead of me?" He said to himself. "Hmm, what's that?" He squinted into the distance. Wil could see a faint shadowy figure ahead of him. Though shrouded in fog, he could tell that the person was quite large. _Is he an enemy, or a friend? Damn, it's way too foggy for me to tell. I'll just have to sneak up to him and check._ With that in mind, the sniper crouched down and carefully made his way towards the unknown figure.

Soon he was in sight of the person. From where he crouched, Wil saw that the man was clad from head to foot in thick armour. _Oh no, a general. If he's an enemy, I couldn't possibly take him down by myself!_ As he tried to inch forward once more, his foot stepped upon a brittle twig, causing a loud sound in the silence. He let out a muffled gasp as the general turned around quicker than Wil thought he was capable of. The general hefted his large silver lance and was slowly advancing towards the sniper hidden in the brush.

"Who's there?! Show yourself or prepare to die!" The general called out gruffly. _That voice… it sounds so familiar, where have I heard it before?_ Not hearing an answer the general thrusted his lance forward towards the area he heard the sound coming from.

"Ahh!" Wil let out a yell as he quickly jumped and barely dodged the oncoming lance.

"Eh? Wil! Is that you?" The general demanded.

"Wh-What?!" Wil shook his head as he stood up. Blinking a few times, he saw that the general that had nearly killed him, was none other than Wallace. "L-Lord Wallace?!" He exclaimed.

"That's my name. Now are you Wil or not?" Wallace replied.

"Urm… yes, sir." He replied, stepping in front of the general.

"Well met, Wil!" Wallace greeted heartily as if he had not just barely skewered the young sniper.

"Uh, well met to you too, sir." Said Wil. "So, what brings you here, Lord Wallace?"

"Hmm, I was trying to get to Caelin, but then this blasted fog rolled in! Now I can't even tell which way is north!" The general frowned.

"Uh… isn't Caelin to the west?"

"… …Of course it is! Now what are you doing here?! Are you not suppose to be there now, protecting the Lady Lyndis?!" Demanded Wallace.

"The Lady Lyndis is here right now…"

"She is? Well, then you should feel very lucky that I'm here! For I will protect her, also! Tell me, Wil! Where is she?" He answered. Wil sighed silently. _Yeah, real lucky…_

"I'm also a bit lost. This fog is too dense for me to see through."

"Well then, we shall look for her together!" Wallace replied, giving Wil a slap on the back.

"Ack! Y-Yes sir!"

"Where's an archer when you need one?!" Elfaiya muttered angrily.

"I thought you promoted Wil…" Lyn asked.

"Same thing. Either way, we need him here! No one else here can use this ballista!" She replied. 

"D-Do you think he's okay? Maybe he got lost?" Florina asked, coming up to them. Elfaiya frowned.

"Maybe… alright, I'll send someone to go find him. Ugh, I _hate_ fighting in fog." She looked around. "How about you go with Matthew to find him, Florina?"

"H-Huh? O-Okay…"

"Matthew!" She called the thief over. "Go with Florina and find Wil. Just check up to the village by the mountains. If you can't find him, come back."

"Yes ma'am!" Matthew mock saluted and ran off.

"Oh! Um… wait!" Florina stammered, as she hurried to catch the over-enthusiastic thief. Using his sharp eyes to penetrate the fog, Matthew scanned the area in front of him for the wayward sniper. Florina hovered behind him.

"Um… do you see him…?"

"Nope… oh wait! What's that in the distance? Hmm… two figures…"

"Two?"

"Yup. One's really big and the other is smaller." Replied Matthew as he squinted to see clearer.

"Are they enemies?"

"Not sure. We should go closer. But can you go first? I'm not that close at combat, you know?" He gave a small laugh.

"Um… uh… o-okay…" Florina then nudged her pegasus forward.

"What's that in the distance?" Wil thought outloud.

"Eh? It looks like something on wings." Said Wallace. _Wings? Could it be Florina?_ Wil stood at the ready as the winged unit came closer. Soon he could make out the winged creature to be a pegasus. And ontop of it was Florina.

"Ah! Florina!" He called out, relaxing.

"Wil?" She flew up to them.

"Finally, we found him!" Another voice came from behind her. "Elfaiya needs you in the front lines! Hmm? Who's this big guy?" Wil recognized the voice to be Matthew's.

"It's General Wallace. Don't you remember? He travelled with us last year." Replied Wil.

"Oh! So that's the general that was with us! Ah… haha… well met! We should be on our way!" The thief spun on his heels and started returning.

"Bah. Young folk, always forgetting things!" Wallace muttered, following the thief. Wil and Florina followed suite.

"Um, Wil? Are you okay? Everyone was worried when they couldn't find you…" Florina started. He turned to face her with a smile.

"I'm alright, I just got lost."

"Th-that's good." She replied. They remained in silence for a while. But then Florina spoke up again.

"Wil?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think I'm really the reincarnation of Barigan's lover?" She asked rather awkwardly. Wil thought for a moment.

"I don't know, but what I'm certain of is that no matter whoever you are, you're still Florina. And no matter what happens, I'll be there for you." He replied. Florina blushed.

"Uh… th-thank you Wil… I'll try and not be a burden…"

"You're never a burden, Florina. You have to stop thinking that way. Be more confident." He smiled gently, reaching up giving her hand a light a squeeze. Florina nodded and managed a shaky smile. Soon they found the rest of their group.

"There you all are!" Elfaiya sighed. "Wil get on that ballista and fire at the swordmaster in the distance, by the castle." The sniper nodded and ran towards the ballista, getting it ready to fire.

After a long and hard battle, Lloyd, the White Wolf of the Black Fang fell. There had been a slight struggle afterwards between him and Eliwood, but that was also soon over. They were now on the road, going deeper into Bern. Searching for the lost Fire Emblem that would be their ticket to the Shrine of Seals.

FireEdge: Done with this chapter.

Guy: Yay! Not…

Matthew: Ha! I'm in it, and you're not!

Guy: Grr…

FireEdge: Eh… I think I slacked off this chapter…

Guy: You always slack off.

FireEdge: I do not!

Matthew: Please review!

--FireEdge--

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	14. Chapter 14

I can't tell if this is a fast update or if this took longer than usual… I've been so lazy and I've been extremely sleep-deprived from trying to catch a specific event on the Olympics. :P Anyway, enough of my pathetic life.

Guy: Totally pathetic…

FireEdge: Gah… anyway, here's another chapter for you!

Matthew: Don't forget your reviews!

FireEdge: Right!

Reviews:

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Wyrmseeker: Heh, I knew I slacked off last chapter. :P

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Rockie1: I had to do research and find out all the generals and such. Hmm… eyedrops… oh well, too late now…

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Lord Cynic: I told you to apologize! He may be a "darnfangled fluffball" but he's a _cute_ darnfangled fluffball! :D

Kirby: Poyo!

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TheOneAndOnlyT: Yes, like I said before, I knew I slacked off. Yeah, so I'm planning to take that little mistake of mine and turn it into something else in the next few chapters. ;)

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Ed, the Master Tactician: Thank you for such a lovely compliment! You sounded all Shakespearean. :P

Guy: Ack! -=Cough=-

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tactician-kit: Thank you!

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ErkTheSlayer: Thank you, I try to update as fast as I can! And good luck if you're going to get up your own fic!

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Ragnarok-legend: Heh, good thing I'm reading your fic, or else I wouldn't have gotten your review! Hmm… that's a good idea. I almost forgot about Hector… I'm dumb. Anyway, that gives me some maniacal ideas! Muahahaha!

Matthew: -.- Oh god… don't fret though, I think she means it in a good way…

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

****

Stray Arrow

Chapter 14

"You sure this is the right direction, Hector?" Elfaiya sighed, looking around the area they had just arrived in. There were many large areas of grassy land, which were separated by a lake and various rivers branching off. In the distant, she could vaguely make out two or three small castles.

"Yes, Hector… I feel uneasy here." Lyn walked up to them with a frown upon her face. Eliwood followed closely behind her.

"I guess we should just check the castles…" He added. The tactician let out another exasperated sigh.

"As if we have a choice…" She didn't think anyone heard her, but she was wrong.

"Getting bored?!" Hector grinned broadly, slapping their tactician hard on the back, causing her to fall flat onto the muddy ground.

"Ack!" She growled standing up and brushing as much mud as possible from her loose beige pants. "Not… funny… if you're lucky, next battle, I'll send you into a horde of myrmidons!"

"Aw, don't be such a bad sport!" Hector laughed, as he held her in a headlock and messed up her hair with his other hand.

"AHH! Leave me alone! Or I'll make them swordmasters!!" Florina stood off to one side watching the sibling-like argument. Lyn and Eliwood were laughing heartily at their behaviour. Even Florina let out a small giggle as Elfaiya jabbed an elbow into Hector's ribs, causing the lord to let out a yell. She was quite surprised that Elfaiya could cause the tall and strong lord any pain.

The tactician then snickered and left the group of lords, letting them amongst themselves. Spotting Florina the young tactician walked over to her.

"What are you staring at, Florina?" She asked, retying her aqua-blue hair into a ponytail. Florina coloured at the question.

"Oh! Um… n-nothing really… I-I was just w-watching you and… Lord Hector…" She stammered. One of Elfaiya's eyebrows rose slightly.

"Hmm, yes. Hector reminds me of my older brother. My brother, Adam, is just like him, always making fun of me and teasing me. But they're both kind souls."

"… His hair reminds me of my eldest sister. They're both of the same shade." Replied Florina.

"Oh? You have another sister?"

"Y-Yes. But Fiora and Farina don't get along to well… they think so differently… They always argue… and one day… Farina just left… I-I haven't seen her since…" Elfaiya remained silent for a moment.

"All siblings fight… I'm sure that you'll see her again, maybe even sooner than you think… if you're lucky."

"Y-Yes, I suppose so…"

"By the way… what are your feelings toward Lord Hector?" The tactician looked at Florina with a questioning look. The young pegasus knight flushed considerably.

"I-I d-don't have a-any…" The other's head titled slightly.

"Hector does think that you're very pretty… Though Lyn doesn't like him taking an interest in you." The comment caused Florina to redden more.

"I…I …I…" Elfaiya's eyes saddened.

"Wil loves you very dearly… but I have a feeling that Hector might just want to court you… Be careful about which path you accidentally tread." Elfaiya felt guilt tugging at her as Florina's face blanched. She didn't want to sound so harsh, but the pegasus knight needed to know that there was more than just one man who vied for her love. Though one showed it more than the other. She knew that Florina and Wil were practically destined to be together, but… things happened and no one knows what the next day could bring.

"I… I think I… want to be alone for awhile… to… to think…" She replied slowly. Elfaiya nodded and walked away.

The pegasus knight was so confused now. Everything had been so complicated with her new feelings towards Wil… and now things have become even more confusing now that Elfaiya told her about Hector. She had never thought that the lord had any feelings for her. He never showed it, but sometimes she did have the feeling that someone was looking at her.

Then she remembered when Wil told her that he'd protect her. She felt safe around the sniper, and she knew that he _would_ protect her with his life. And Elfaiya said that Wil… loved her…? Her heart warmed at the thought. Did he really love her? She supposed she really wouldn't know for sure unless he told her.

But her emotions about Hector were as clear as mud. The lord was handsome and strong, she had to admit, but she didn't think she was really attracted to the man. _I-I don't know what to think anymore…_

Suddenly, the rest of the army stared stirring up. Looking around she saw some drawing their weapons. Turning, she saw the lords confronting a paladin. As expected, Elfaiya was soon yelling out orders. Picking up her lance, she climbed onto her pegasus, awaiting her own orders.

"Guy, Raven, Matthew! Take Lucius and take over the castle to the west!" The sword fighters nodded and ran off followed by the monk. "Florina, Fiora! Take Erk and go warn that village across the lake before the bandits get them. While you're there take out that bishop and seize that castle!" Florina nodded, as her sister allowed Erk to mount her pegasus.

"Come, Florina. Let's go!" Fiora called.

"Yes, Fiora!"

"Everyone else, head north…" Elfaiya's voice faded as the sisters took to the air and soared across the lake. In a few minutes, they were nearing the opposite shore. As they reached it, Erk jumped off and gestured for them to go on ahead as he warned the village.

Before the battle, Wil had seen that Florina had looked unwell. Her face was pale and she had been clutching to her pegasus's mane with a tight grip. _I hope she's okay…_ Walking forward, he heard some of the group murmuring.

"Look, over there."

"There's another pegasus knight!"

"But it's not Florina or Fiora."

"I wonder who it could be?" Looking in the direction of their fingers, he saw a faint figure flying towards them. _Another pegasus knight?_ As the figure came closer, they saw that the woman had dark blue hair, cropped short. She had a determined grin on her face as she observed the army. Her eyes lit up as it landed on Hector.

They all stared as she went up to him and started talking. Suddenly the lord let out a yell.

"20 000 gold?!" After a bit more of talking they saw Elfaiya and Hector place a bag into the smiling pegasus knight's hands. Then they all saw her fly across the lake towards the other pegasus knights.

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"Wow, three pegasus knights…" Wil said to himself. Next to him, Sain nodded.

"Yes, three _beautiful_ pegasus knights!"

"… Sain…" He growled warningly.

"Ehehe, o-of course I won't _do_ anything!" The cavalier newly promoted paladin replied nervously.

"Fiora! Look!" Florina tugged her sister's sleeve, pointing to the approaching pegasus knight. Fiora's eyes widened.

"Fa-Farina?!" She called, out surprise written all over her face. The blue-haired pegasus knight came up next to them.

"Hello, sisters!"

"Farina!" Florina said joyously, tears coming to her eyes.

"Oh! D-Don't cry, Florina!"

"I-I'm sorry!" She apologized.

"Why are you here, sister?" Fiora asked. The other shrugged.

"Lord Hector hired me for 20 000 gold!"

"20 000?!" Fiora gagged. "Again, you ask the impossible!"

"Impossible? Nothing's impossible when it's money you're talking about!"

"Is that all you think about?!"

"Pl-Please, can we not fight?" Florina asked meekly. Her two sisters looked at her and nodded slowly.

"Yes. We should finish this battle." Fiora answered. The youngest of the trio smiled and they resumed the fight.

After the battle was over, Florina stood off by herself, brushing her pegasus. She turned as she heard boots crunching on the grass.

"Oh! Wil!" The sniper smiled warmly at her.

"Hello, Florina. I came to see if you were well. You didn't seem to well before the battle." The young girl blushed.

"Uh, I-I'm sorry for making you worry… I-I'm fine." She replied quietly. He smiled again.

"That's good to know. I'm glad you're safe." Wil sighed. Florina nodded. The two remained in silence for a long moment. Florina, staring at the ground, Wil looking at Florina. She felt at peace with Wil, but right now she was filled with many mixed feelings. Mostly an expectant feeling. She wanted to know if Elfaiya was right. Could Wil be the first man that she could actually trust and fall in love with? She hoped so. She had looked deep inside herself, and she found that she did love Wil. But she did not want her heart to be broken. Wil shifted uneasily.

"Um… Florina--" The sniper started, but was interrupted by a yell.

"FLORINA!" Both their heads snapped up at the call. Farina was running towards them. "I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation, but Fiora wants to talk to you, sister."

"Um, o-okay." Florina then ran off towards her other sister's tent. As she slowly disappeared into the distance, Farina turned to face Wil. Her brows raised as she looked the 17 year old up and down.

"Uh… can I help you?" Wil asked.

"So… are you my baby sister's friend?" Wil took a step back as Farina leaned in and squinted at him.

"Uh… y-yeah…"

"Hmm… last time I recalled, Florina was completely terrified of men! So why would she not be afraid of you?" She asked suspiciously. Wil thanked the darkness of the night as he blushed.

"I-I've been travelling with Florina since more than a year ago. We're both serve the Lady Lyndis." He replied.

"So you both work for a noble? Well, I'm glad that my sister is working for someone that important… How much do you get payed?"

"Wh-What?!" Wil was truly taken aback by the question. "Uh… pl-plenty enough, I suppose…" Farina continued to stare at Wil.

"Hmm, you look to be a country boy."

"W-Well, I grew up in a small village in Pherae."

"A village boy…" Farina stroked her chin thoughtfully. "So… you're just my sister's friend?" Wil was really sweating now, being put on the hot seat by the blue-haired pegasus knight.

"Uh… y-yes!"

"Nothing more?"

"Y-Yes…" He replied meekly. Her eyes narrowed again.

"You lie."

"Wh--"

"But I suppose that since you _do_ work for a noblewoman, you _should_ be good enough."

"I-I beg your pardon?" Asked Wil, confused.

"I'll be seeing you again. And be careful, I'm watching you." The young woman then turned on her heels and walked away. Wil let out a deep sigh of relief and sunk to the ground as soon as she was out of sight.

"That… was… unexpected… Man, she scares me…"

FireEdge: Hehe, go Farina!

Guy: O.o Wow, she is scary.

Matthew: Not as much as FireEdge…

FireEdge: Hey!

Guy: Review.

--FireEdge--


	15. Chapter 15

I lied, I promised that I'd update by the weekends, but I didn't… Please don't be mad at me! I'm very busy as of now. Stupid school.

Guy: Sure, blame it on school.

Matthew: Why not? It's a plausible excuse.

Guy: …

Reviews:

TheOneAndOnlyT: Yes, Farina will definitely be watching… she's such a stalker. :P

Lord Cynic: Farina's actually a very good character. But she is trouble as in you really have to pay 20 000 gold for her… And Kirby isn't trouble! He's too cute!

Ragnarok-legend: Yes, I'm glad you "inspired" me! Or else I wouldn't have remembered Hector! And that would've been bad!

ErkTheSlayer: Thanks… I think…. --

Guy: See he thinks you're crazy too!

FireEdge: I'm going to kill you, tiny myrmidon…

Ed, the Master Tactician: Haha! I guess you just had to hit Guy didn't you? Oh well, he deserves it. :)

K-Girl: I'm not sure if it speeds up experience. I do know however, that it raises growth rates by 5 for each stat.

Wyrmseeker: Well said my friend. Well said.

ghet: Yes, she is scary. And thank you for the compliment!

Legolasgirl5: Thank you for the compliments on Farina!

Duelist of Middle Earth: Thanks for reviewing! All of us are busy with school! Hehe. Hmm, a StarFox and Sonic crossover? Well it's certainly original…

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Stray Arrow

Chapter 15

Huey's hooves crunched lightly upon the freshly fallen snow as he walked daintily along the path. Florina looked up at the grey sky. The snowflakes fell in giant fluffy fragments. She blinked her blue eyes as one landed on her nose.

_This place reminds me of Ilia. The snow is so pretty and calming._ She sighed as she shook her orchid locks, causing snow to fall around. Settling deeper into her saddle, she pulled her cloak tighter around her small body.

Looking around, she studied the people of the rather large army, searching for no one in particular. Her eyes rested on Lyn first, she was walking with the rest of the lords, talking quietly. She noticed that Kent was trotting on his horse near her, but yet keeping his distance, ever staring at her.

Moving, she saw her sister, Fiora. She seemed annoyed, her mouth set in a tight line. Florina then realized the cause of her sister's troubles. Sain was riding next to her, talking away. He was obviously flirting… again.

Priscilla, Raven and Lucius were also in their own little group, walking quietly along, not really talking. Next to them she spotted Serra talking rather loudly to a distraught Erk and Canas.

Shifting her gaze, she saw their tactician talking to Guy about something, but it seemed like they were more or less arguing. The now swordmaster had his arms crossed and was walking backwards, glaring at the tactician. She couldn't really tell what they were talking about this time, but she guessed that Guy was still complaining about the fact that Elfaiya had refused to buy him a new Killing Edge. Suddenly the swordmaster threw up his arms, getting mad again and lost his balance. Causing him to fall over backwards onto the ground.

Of course, Elfaiya then tripped over him and fell on her back in a snowdrift. A few other people also tripped over him or the tactician, including herself…

"Oh!" She let out a surprised yell, as her pegasus's forelegs stumbled on Guy, who barely rolled out of the way in time to escape the winged horse trampling him. The pegasus, however regained its balance quickly. Unfortunately, its rider wasn't as lucky.

Florina was accidentally bucked out when Huey tripped. Sending her catapulting forward.

"Ahh!" She screamed. Suddenly, she landed with a thud, onto something soft. Opening her eyes, she saw that she was facing a greenish materiel, someone's shirt. Looking up, she blushed as she realized that it was Wil that she had just landed on top of. Next to him stood Dart, the pirate, staring at the two of them with a amused look on his face.

"Maybe you two should get a room, eh?" He grinned mischievously. Wil's eyes widened as he stood up, gently putting Florina down next to him.

"Not funny, Dan! Er, Dart." He snapped.

"Haha, just joking with you!" Dart punched Wil lightly on the arm.

"Uh… " The sniper turned an even brighter shade of red.

"So, this you're lady?" The pirate asked, looking a wide-eyed Florina over with raised brows.

"Wh-What?!" Wil demanded. But the conversation was interrupted by an outburst from behind them.

"Look what you did this time!"

"I didn't do anything!" Another voice retorted. "You started it in the first place!"

"Just because I didn't buy you a new Killing Edge, you get all pouty! Honestly, you're what fifteen?!"

"Please, you two, stop yelling." Came Lyn's calming voice. "We don't want to attract any attention!"

"Er… sorry…" They apologized, looking at the ground. Suddenly, from a distance away, Eliwood called out.

"Hector! Lyn! Elfaiya! Come here!" They three quickly ran over to the red-haired lord. They were standing by a stone building, it seemed as if they were listening to something.

Wil then stood up, holding out his hand to Florina.

"Need a hand?" He asked with a sincere smile, despite the smirk Dart was giving him.

"Th-Thank you…" Florina took his hand and allowed him to help her up. Just as she was on her feet again, a whooshing sound could be heard and Florina was suddenly encased in a hug by her sister, Farina.

"Oh Florina! Are you hurt?" She asked her baby sister, who was completely red-faced.

"Um… n-no… I-I'm okay."

"Okay, good, because if you were even hurt the TINYIST bit, that little swordmaster would've paid dearly… With a heap of gold…" Farina said with a wicked grin, looking at Guy, who was now talking with Matthew.

"No! Don't do that, Farina! He didn't mean it! And Wil was here--" The young pegasus knight protested, she didn't want her sister harassing the other members of the army. But her sister didn't seem interesting in taking the money of the young swordmaster anymore.

"What did Wil do?"

"Er..." Florina blushed. A little ways behind her, Wil edged back. He really was afraid of Florina's eldest sister. Fortunately the conversation was stopped from going any further when a warping sound could be heard. Whirling around, they saw a bishop of some sort appear.

By the time Florina, Wil, Dart and Farina ran up to the lords and tactician, the bishop had already warped away.

"What's going on?" Wil asked.

"Prepare for battle." Said Elfaiya in response. The tactician then turned and walked away, to talk to the rest of the army.

"Oh no… Another fight?" Florina said to herself. "And I thought we would have a bit of a break today…" Looking up at the snow filled sky again, she sighed and went to find Huey.

* * *

The battle was hard and long. They had met up with another swordmaster and they had defeated the bishop, Kenneth. Lucius seemed pleased when the bishop dropped his Aura tome after the battle. The monk was busy flipping through the book with a serene smile.

They had also found the Fire Emblem. She had caught a glimpse of it before Eliwood put it away. It was a magnificent gem like orb, roughly the size of a full grown man's fist. It was an orange colour with a flickering flame in the centre that didn't seem to ever die.

Florina settled back into her saddle, as Huey walked steadily forward. Eliwood was determined to return to the Bern manse as soon as possible. They all knew that the 10th night was drawing closer.

She knew that it was important to return as soon as possible to the queen, but she couldn't help regret leaving. Maybe it was because this place reminded her of Ilia. Was she homesick?

Shaking her head, she focused on the path ahead. Suddenly, she heard Merlinus let out a yell. Turning her head, she saw the tactician roll out of the moving wagon.

"Elfaiya! What are you doing?! You'll destroy all of my supplies!" Merlinus shrieked. The aqua-haired girl smirked sheepishly.

"Sorry, Merlinus, but I had to find something!" The merchant continued to grumble but faced forward and clucked his tongue for the horses to continue to drive forward through the snow.

The tactician then continued to trudge through the deep snow, holding something under her arm. Seeing that she was having a hard time walking through the snow, Florina flew over to the girl.

"Oh! Hey, Florina!" She replied as the pegasus knight approached her. "I was just looking for you!"

"Huh? Why?" Asked Florina curiously. Elfaiya smiled.

"I decided to dig through Merlinus's tent again, you know?"

"Doesn't he get mad when you do that?"

"Er…" The tactician let out a cough. "Uh, anyway, you wouldn't believe what I found!" But before Elfaiya could finish speaking, the winds suddenly picked up. The snow blew forcibly stronger, covering them with a veil of white.

"Blizzard!" Someone ahead yelled. Elfaiya tucked what she was holding into her pocket and braced herself as another wave of snow and sleet hit her.

"Everyone, find shelter!" There was yelling from all around. They could hear the whinnying of the horses and scrambling sounds.

"Keep in pairs!" Another voice was heard barely yelling over the roars of the blizzard.

"Hurry, Florina, find some shelter!" The tactician managed to yell, before she was lost in another gust of snow. Florina saw that the girl had found someone and they were both heading for somewhere to wait out the storm.

_Whew, good thing Elfaiya found a companion so she won't be lost! _The pegasus knight thought with relief. Suddenly her eyes widened. _She_ didn't have a companion; she was all alone in the middle of a storm. _Oh no… What do I do?!_

Her pegasus stamped the ground nervously as the winds buffeted him and his rider.

"C-Come on Huey!" She said shivering, only realizing how cold it was now. "Where is everyone?" Florina looked around, her teeth chattering. Huey attempted to fly, but the winds and snow hit him hard, knocking the pegasus back. But he continued to persist, trying once more to lift off. This time the winds were stronger, hitting the pegasus hard.

"Ahhh!" Florina lost her balance as her mount stumbled in the air. She was knocked, sprawling onto the ground. She bit her lip painfully as she felt her arm scrape against hard gravel. The whinnying of her pegasus died out as he too was lost in the storm.

Sitting up, she looked around fearfully. Her eyes wide with fright, she searched desperately for someone, anyone. But all she saw was a thick blanket of snow, endless sheets of snow.

"H-Help!" She tried to scream, but her voice was lost in the gusts of air. Tears streamed down her face, freezing as it met the cold air. She stood up shakily, trying to walk, but her legs felt like lead and she stumbled over a tree root. The young girl was sent sprawling once again.

"S-Someone… please… help me…" Her voice cracked as she slid on the ground. _I'm going to die._ Florina thought helplessly as she pushed herself off the ground. She shivered uncontrollably as strong gales blew around her. _I'm worthless. I can't even get myself out of a blizzard, and I grew up in Ilia. I practically killed my pegasus, leaving him all alone. I'm going to die here now… I'm so weak… I'm just a burden to everyone. They'll be glad I'm gone…_ She thought depressingly in her mind. _What about Wil? He wouldn't want you to die. He'll hate himself if you were dead._ Another small voice whispered in her mind.

_But Wil isn't here… I-I wish he was here._ Florina hoped silently. Then her vision began to blur, she was slowly losing consciousness. Everything felt so fuzzy and heavy. She was falling. Any second now, she would hit the frozen ground, dying in mere minutes.

"FLORINA!" She heard a voice call, but it seemed so far away. So far far away… _Wil…_ Florina's eyes closed and she faded into darkness.

MUAHAHAHA! I'm so evil.

Guy: Yes you are. You are pure PURE evil… bribing me with cookies…

Matthew: I think she meant as in she took forever to update and then didn't really write a long chapter and ended it with somewhat of a cliffhanger.

FireEdge: Yeah, what Matt said.

Guy: … Hey! You made me sound like a whiney baby!

FireEdge: You _are_ a whiney baby! And in case anyone asks about that Guy scene, I wanted to make him sound stupid and make Florina trip somehow to make a cute scene with her and Wil. I don't know if that turned out too well or not though…

Matthew: Well, please review!

--FireEdge--

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	16. Chapter 16

I'm back! You're all lucky that TheOneAndOnlyT is bugging me to update, or this chapter could have took way longer…

Guy: Then that would be a good thing.

Matthew: Yeah, you lazy bum!!

FireEdge: Go away…

Reviews:

Wyrmseeker: Yes, school sucks. But slow updates are usually due to laziness. :P You tell Lord C! Kirby rules all!

Lord Cynic: Having fun? HNM isn't that bad. I got more mad at EHM. That was annoying…

TheOneAndOnlyT: Gee, I should hire you as an alarm clock. :P You're the one who's always reminding me to update!

Ragnarok-legend: Hehe. I wasn't my fault, I swear… Hmm, I don't know if I'm adding any other tactician's in this. My main focus is going to be on Wil and Florina. But if I ever need to use another tactician, I'll be sure to use Haru for you.

ErkTheSlayer: Hehe, _now_ you agree with me! XD

Ed, the Master Tactician: Yeah, Guy's one lucky guy.

Servant of God: Hehe, I tend to neglect fanfics sometimes too. But that's a bad thing… Eep. Yes, I'm trying to stop being evil too. But sometimes it just doesn't work.

onionbreath002: Thank you. I know I'm evil :) Whoa, _14_ plays with Erk/Serra A supports? That's insane. I could never use Erk that many time, Nino's too good. And I also try to get different supports everytime through.

Fury: Hehe, thanks for the compliment!

Legolasgirl5: Aww, I'm glad someone liked my fluffly parts! Yes, will they ever kiss? Hmm.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Stray Arrow

Chapter 16

"FLORINA!" Wil cried into the storm. His eyes widened suddenly as he saw a small figure collapse ahead of him. The sniper quickly ran through the thick snow.

"Fl-Florina!" She seemed unconscious, her curly orchid locks sprinkled with wet snow. Her long lashes covered with tiny icy crystals. Wil knew that if he didn't get her out of this blizzard, she might not make it…

_Stop thinking like that, Wil! Get it together!_ He gritted his teeth furiously and Scooped Florina up in his arms. But which way to go? He couldn't tell one way from the other. The curtains upon curtains of sleet blinded his vision. Everything was a white blanket of nothingness.

Trudging forward with an unbreakable will, he started off in one direction. As he walked, he looked down at the girl in his arms. Florina's face was deathly pale and even with the storm about him, he could feel that her body was freezing cold.

_Hang in there, Florina. You can't leave me yet!_ Wil bit his lip, restraining tears that were threatening to fall. The sniper looked around once more. He still couldn't tell where he was going. But suddenly, ahead of him, he saw the snow shifting, lightening up so that he could see.

Plowing forward, he saw a dark shape loom ahead. Coming closer, he saw that it was a giant gnarled tree. It's dark branches spread from its massive trunk and reached for the skies. Dark knotted bark covered it, peeling here and there. Looking near the base of the tree, Wil saw that it's large roots sprawled all over the ice-packed ground. Suddenly he saw something near the bottom of the trunk.

_An opening!_ Their was a medium-sized crevice cracked into its side. Making a narrow opening that the sniper could just fit in. Squeezing inside, he saw that it was some sort of chamber. The inside of the trunk was mostly hollowed out. He couldn't tell if man or nature had done it, but it was as good a shelter as any.

Kneeling, he placed Florina onto the floor of the hollow, propping her up a bit against the back of the trunk. Taking off the cloak that he had been wearing, he covered her up as best as he could. He would not be falling asleep that night. He had to watch Florina. Make sure she was safe.

Wil sat down next to her, hoping she was warm enough. He stared out through the crack in the trunk at the blizzard outside, mesmerized by the falling snow. It swirled constantly, sometimes sending cold drafts of air into the hollow. But he still sat there, not minding it all, his mind set on the girl next to him.

The sniper was barely aware of the time passing by and of the fact that he had dozed off into a light sleep. But his eyes shot open upon the wailing winds coming to a halt.

_I can't believe that I fell asleep! _He mentally slapped himself. Looking down next to him, Florina still slept peacefully, her chest rising and falling slowly. The sunlight fell upon her well-sculpted face and he sat staring at her unknowingly. Her hair fell in locks messily over her face. He reached out a hand and gently brushed them back.

As his fingers touched her cheek, he felt her stir. Wil instantly drew his hand back, his eyes a little wide, but then relaxed. Looking at Florina, he saw her eyes flicker and start to open slowly.

The pegasus knight's eyes opened fully, her vision was blurry and took a bit to clear up. Her head was pounding and she felt very cold. Moving a little, she felt a cloak slide off her shoulders at her movement. Looking up, she saw Wil staring at her.

It took her a moment before she could register what was going on.

"W-Wil?"

"Florina… are you feeling okay?" He asked, a sigh of relief escaping his lips.

"I-I think so… I can't remember anything though… Just snow…" She said, blinking her wide eyes up at the sniper.

"Don't worry, it's okay now. The blizzard is over." Smiled Wil. "But we should try and find the others. Can you stand up?"

"… Yes, I think so." She replied, slowly getting up. She was shaking slightly, but she was stable. "But how are we going to find them--Wait! Huey!" Her eyes widened dramatically as she remembered losing her pegasus in the storm.

"Huey? Did he get lost in the blizzard?" Wil asked, his eyebrows furrowed. Florina's lower lip quivered slighty.

"I-I hope he's okay." She said in a shaky voice, her eyes were shiny with unshed tears.

"I'm sure he's fine. Huey's a smart animal, he'll find his way to safety." Wil reassured her, hoping that he was right.

Stepping outside with Florina at his heels, he looked at the site about him. Everything was covered in crisp layers of thick white snow; it gleamed blindly in the sunlight overhead. Covering his eyes with his hand, he looked this way and that for a sign of other people.

"I wonder where everyone is? I can't see any people at all…" He spoke out, a tint of worry in his voice. A light blush crept up his neck when he felt Florina next to him, slightly pressed against his body in fear. Wil cleared his throat nervously and started forward.

They walked forward slowly, looking in all direction for signs of people. But it was to no avail. Suddenly though, they heard a loud whinny.

"A horse!" Said Wil, his head shooting up, his eyes gazing intently on the horizon in the direction of the sound.

"Is it Huey?" She asked hopefully. Her question was then answered as a white horse rose above the horizon. It wasn't a pegasi, but it was definitely good enough.

"Kent!" They both yelled. The paladin turned his roan eyes in the direction of the call.

"Ah, Wil! Florina!" He said in return as his steed ran through the snow. "Milady Lyndis was worried about you two. "She sent me out personally to find you."

"R-Really?" Wil asked.

"Yes, your sisters are out also, looking for you Miss Florina. We have some others scouts searching for the rest of our missing troops." They gave Kent a nod and started following the red-haired paladin back to where their army rested.

That night, they were almost back to the manse. One more day of travel and they would reach the queen. But for now, the army rested. The encampment was quiet except for the crackling of fires and the murmurs of neighbours visiting each other.

Wil lay on his back on his bed. His tent-mates were out visiting or doing some other business, and he relished the silence he was given. But that peacefulness was broken when he heard the snap of a twig outside the flaps of his tent.

"Huh? Who's there?" He asked, sitting up on his bunk.

"I-It's me…" Said a voice meekly. Sliding off his bed, he strode towards the tent flap. Throwing it back he came face-to-face with Florina.

"Florina? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be resting?" He asked.

"Um… I-I wanted to thank you for saving me. I-I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come." Replied the pegasus knight, her eyes downcast.

"Of course… I could never live with myself if you were lost out there alone…"

"But you didn't need to save me. I'm just a weak little girl who can't even fend for herself… No one would care if I were gone anyway. I'm always in the way." Tears steamed down her cheek as she said those words. She knew they were true whether she denied them or not.

"That's not true, Florina." Wil protested. "If you were not strong, why would Elfaiya send you out to fight?" Florina didn't respond, she just stared at the ground.

"And many people would mourn if you died… Lyn, your sisters, your friends… and me…" He said slowly.

"… But--" She never finished her sentence. For suddenly, Wil's hands delicately lifted up her chin and planted a light kiss upon her lips. Florina's eyes widened but she stood still, frozen to place.

Wil released Florina, a deep blush on his cheeks. The other's face was also pigmented red. He didn't know how he had mustered up the courage to do that. But he was glad he had.

Florina stared, her eyes fixed upon Wil's in astonishment. She had never been kissed before in her life, and she didn't really know what to do or say.

They stared at each other for what seemed like ages before Wil broke the silence.

"We'd… better get some rest… Good-night, Florina." He said awkwardly, walking into his tent. Only when he was out of her sight did she relax. Her slender fingers went up to her lips, touching them gently, still shocked from what had happened.

"G-Good-night, Wil…"

Awwww. They kissed. And in your face! I didn't do a cliffhanger! Sorry for the shortness, but I hope this chapter was good enough for you people!

Guy: Yeah, if it's not, the reviewers will come in swarms and eat you alive…

Matthew: Don't be stupid Guy…

FireEdge: Yes, don't be stupid. And review, please!

--FireEdge--


	17. Chapter 17

((Re-edited since first upload.))

Yeah, yeah. I know. I took forever to update again. Not to mention the thingy that 's been doing won't let us log in… But I'm here now aren't I?! Hehe…

Guy: Right…

Matthew: Just get on with it.

FireEdge: Pfft.

Reviews:

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Squallsgurl: Yeah, I know! It was about time I made them kiss. :P But this chapter isn't very fast, is it? Hehe…

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TheOneAndOnlyT: Yes, let the fluffiness consume you! Haha. Yes, I know it's pathetically sad that they don't "realize their love" yet. But it makes it all last longer this way. :)

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Wyrmseeker: Oh yeah… I forgot about Huey…. NO! Ahem, anyway… yes, school has been a drag and I've been piled with homework, this week especially, so I'm lucky I actually got to update at all.

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Lord Cynic: NOOO!! Leave the pink marshmallow!!

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Ragnarok-legend: Yes, I know, they're so cute together! Yeah, it's okay. If you're lucky I might have a cameo of Haru near the end. ;)

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ErkTheSlayer: Thank you! It seems the only thing I write decently is romance. :P Don't worry, just keep working at it, and you'll be great at writing too!

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Fury: Yes, I found that out when I first played Eliwood's mode. It certainly sucks, but that's the glory of fanfiction. I can do whatever I want.

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onionbreath002: Yay! Cookie! Mmm.

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Oswin the Nino Fan (x11): Thank very much for all of your reviews! But, not to sound harsh or anything, but there wasn't any Nino, because… Nino, DOES NOT SHOW UP YET! But she will be making her first appearance this chapter!

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Emarista the Torturer: Hehe! Thanks for reviewing, and I'm sure Wil and Florina appreciate your support!

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Poyo: Wow, you read all my stories? Thanks! Eep, don't kill me!

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The Blazing Blade (x14): Thanks to you too, for all the reviews! AHHH! MARCUS! RUN AWAY! -FireEdge, Guy and Matthew all bolt for the door-

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InItIaL D ROCKS: Thanks for the review

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Ed, the Master Tactician: Right, Ed. Yeah, thanks for the compliments!

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jaffar8: Um… here's more, but it wasn't exactly _now_…

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

****

Stray Arrow

Chapter 17

They were finally at the manse. Everything was dark, for someone had taken out all of the lights. But worse of all, they had to divide their forces. Something that they didn't like to do, especially in a place like this. Where they didn't know their surroundings and didn't know where their enemies could be.

Florina crept forward carefully. She didn't want to be ambushed. Behind her, Matthew stalked along, penetrating the darkness with his sharp eyes. He was supposed to warn her if there was any particular danger ahead. Especially archers.

She was glad that Huey had survived the storm a while back. He had returned to them with nought but a few scratches. Now he flew along silently, the only sound he made was from his breath and the flap of his great wings.

Her mind then wandered back to that night. That night when Wil had kissed her. Florina blushed at the thought. _I can't believe that happened._ It was truly amazing. But it was just as she had imagined her first kiss to be.

Trying to set her mind on the task at hand, which was to rescue the prince, she looked around her. She was currently in the lead of the small group, with Erk and Serra tagging along next to her. Slightly behind her she could hear the clink of Hector and Oswin's armour.

Suddenly, Matthew let out a yell. "Archer ahead!" Florina's head shot up as she nudged Huey in the side sharply, making the pegasus swerve to the side. She could hear the arrow whiz past her and clatter to the ground.

"There's a whole squad of them!" Matthew informed them all as he himself dodged another arrow.

"Well, it shouldn't be too hard." Erk replied, already casting an Elfire spell. Next to him, Serra, a newly promoted bishop, was chanting the spell for Lightning.

Florina gulped and bravely twirled her javelin, striking a nearby archer. She dodged another arrow as it shot past her. As she took out another javelin, she didn't notice the sniper creeping up behind her. Not until it fired its deadly accurate shot.

"Florina!" She heard Matthew yell a too late warning. The falcoknight gasped. It wasn't possible for her to escape the attack. She was going to die.

But just as she braced herself for the oncoming arrow, she felt a heavy figure grab her and she was pushed out of harm's way. She could hear the strong arrow 'tink' against thick armour.

Opening her blue eyes, she saw that Hector was slightly over top of her. He had been the one who had pushed her out of the way. She owed the lord her life.

"Th-Thank you, L-Lord H-Hector…" She stuttered. The only man she felt truly comfortable with was Wil. The blue-haired lord gave the young girl a smile, his white teeth flashing.

He was too close… She turned pink, and looked around for a way to get out. "Uh… L-Lord Hector? Sh-Shouldn't we get b-back to the fight?" Florina asked timidly.

"Of course. Up you get." He gave another smile and pulled her up with surprising gentleness.

"Thank you…" She said again as she stood and mounted up onto her pegasus again.

"No problem." He replied, going back to the fight. Though Florina noticed that he stayed especially close to her. She wasn't exactly sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing, but decided to ignore it.

Elsewhere, the other troops were fighting in the western side of the manse. Wil himself was fighting non-stop against the army of the Black Fang. His arrows were shot one after one. The numbers never seemed to stop.

"Move forward!" Elfaiya ordered. "We won't get anywhere if we attack without moving!" Everyone nodded and tried to charge forward, taking out enemies that got in their path.

Wil ran forward, the enemies temporarily ignoring him as they went after Lucius. The sniper seemed to be the only one running down the dark corridor, his footsteps echoing on the marble floor. He could hear fighting behind him and the blasts of magic in front of him.

Looking up, he saw a burst of light that he knew to be a Shine spell. But Lucius was well behind him. Speeding up, he turned the corner and saw a young girl chanting an anima spell against an enemy monk.

_If she's fighting against the enemy, then she must be an ally!_ Wil thought to himself. As he ran up to the mage, he saw the monk crumple, dead, to the ground. The girl was exhausted and scared.

Not wanting to give the girl a scare, Wil made some noise as he walked towards her. The mage's head shot up immediately.

"Wh-Who's there?" She asked, her eyes wide.

"I'm a friend. There's no need to be frightened." Wil said, stepping out of the darkness. The girl blinked a few times, but then her eyes went wide again.

"Are you from the castle?! Hurry! You have to save the prince! He's in his room! I'll hold off the enemies from here!" She blurted out all in one breath.

"C-Calm down!" Wil exclaimed. "The prince will be fine… What's you're name, and what are you doing in such a dangerous place like this?" The girl played with her Elfire tome nervously.

"Er… I'm Nino…" But she didn't say anything else. Obviously she didn't want to say why she was here. But Wil didn't mind, it wasn't really that much of his business.

"It's alright, Nino." He replied. Lifting his head, the sniper could hear footsteps and familiar voices headed his way.

"Here, my friends are coming." As he said that, Lyn, Eliwood, Elfaiya and a few others came their way.

"Who's that, Wil?" Lyn asked coming up to him. Eliwood was close behind her. Elfaiya stayed back checking to see if everyone was there.

"This is Nino. She says the prince is in danger." He replied, gesturing at the young mage. The mage stared at the two lords, still slightly frightened.

"It's okay, we're here to save the prince." Lyn kneeled next to the girl. "Why don't you come with us?" She asked. Eliwood nodded his agreement, and looked at Elfaiya for her confirmation. But the tactician was preoccupied.

"I don't think Elfaiya would mind, either." He said. After everyone introduced themselves, Nino finally explained the situation about the prince. When she finally finished, they could hear more footsteps coming from the opposite direction.

They all readied their weapons and held their breaths. But to their relief it was only the other group. With them, they saw that the others towed along a dark-robed assassin.

"Jaffar!" Nino exclaimed, running up to him. While she fussed over the assassin, an angry looking Hector stalked over to Eliwood, Lyn and Elfaiya.

After even more explanations and settling agreements, they finally started to fight once more. The rest of the battle was easier now that their strength was reunited once more. Soon, the battle was over. And whilst the lords and tactician spoke with Queen Helene. The rest of the army once again took a well needed rest.

Wil sat down next to Florina, both silent. They hadn't really spoken to one another since that night. Neither had been brave enough to start a conversation. They just sat there, staring at the ground. Finally, taking a deep breath, Wil spoke up.

"Florina…" He started hesitantly. Florina looked at him with a side-long glance. She wondered what he would say… She certainly didn't know what to say to him. But took up the courage and responded.

"Y-Yes, Wil?" The sniper took a long pause as he tried to sum up his words. It was much harder than he expected to talk.

"… Did I… Did I offend you… that night?" He asked slowly, not really knowing what to say. The girl next to him blushed ferociously, taking a moment to answer. _What do I say? It didn't offend me… but… still… I'm so confused. What did it all mean? Love...?_

"… N-No…" She turned even more red, if that was possible as she said the next few words. "… I-It was… n-nice… I've n-never been k-kissed before…" Florina shut her eyes tight, afraid at what would happen next, though she didn't really know why. _I can't believe I said that! What will he think now? That I'm just some little girl that hasn't seen anything in this world before?_ She felt as if she would cry, but knew she shouldn't.

The young girl then felt a hand cover over hers. Opening her eyes slowly, she looked at Wil. He had a soft smile on his face, a determined light in his eyes. Florina felt herself staring at those deep pools of brown. Feeling lost in them. As long as she looked into them, she felt safe. Surrounded by an aura of salvation of sorts. _Have I ever told him that his eyes are really pretty?_ She wondered absentmindedly. But her reveries were interrupted as Wil finally spoke again.

"Florina… I never had the courage to say this to you before. But… I love you. And I always will love you." The other girl's face brightened, her cheeks still pink. A small smile spread across her pretty face. Florina could feel her heart become strangely lighter. A fluttering feeling filled her stomach. _I-I can't believe he said that! He l-loves me? _She swallowed and opened her mouth without hesitation.

"I-I love you too, Wil." She said, her face bright with her beaming smile. But then her face saddened. "Please don't ever leave me, Wil… I don't want to lose you…" She added, tears were starting to sparkle in her light blue eyes.

"Don't worry, I won't." He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before standing, pulling Florina up with him. _I won't ever leave you… Not after this. We have so much more to experience… together. _Leaning down, he gave her a kiss on her forehead.

Florina let out a light contented sigh and leaned against Wil's chest. She closed her eyes and revelled in the moment. She could feel the warmth of his body, with his arms wrapped around her. The young girl hoped it wouldn't end.

Wil stood with his eyes closed, holding tight to Florina. He could faintly smell the scent of perfume from her. A delicate flowery smell that suited her. Like her, his thoughts also read that he wished for this moment to last forever.

But unbeknownst to them, they had a few nosy guests. Three pairs of eyes peered through the leaves of a nearby tree.

"Are you _sure_ we should be doing this?" Guy hissed, brushing a leaf from his face.

"Of course we are." Matthew replied. Elfaiya grimaced.

"I love seeing them together, also. But I don't think we should be spying on their private moments…"

"See! Even Elfaiya agrees with me!" Guy continued to protest.

"Oh, be quiet! You're the one who had us go into this tree!"

"I did not!"

"Well weren't _you_ the one who got Elfaiya's map stuck up here?!" Retorted Matthew.

"If its my map we're after, I have it here. Let's go down then." Elfaiya said, holding up her map. "And it's not like we _all_ have to be up here." But the thief waved her off with her hand.

"Shh, I can't hear them if you keep on talking!"

"Matthew…" They both growled threateningly.

"Wha-?" He started to ask when they all suddenly fell from the tree they were in. The three companions landed into the bushes below with loud 'thump'.

"Owww…" Looking up from the position they were in, hey saw Huey look at them innocently.

"Smart horse…" Matthew muttered.

I have no clue if this is long or not, but its all you're going to get this chapter… Well, at least they admitted their love for each other.

Guy: We fell from a tree?!

FireEdge: Well I had to add some humour, somehow.

Matthew: And all this time I thought that pegasi were stupid…

Guy: Smarter than you.

Matthew: I wouldn't talk.

FireEdge: Shut up…

--FireEdge--


	18. Chapter 18

Alright, just a quick note. I've noticed (with the help of TheOneAndOnlyT) that my other chapter was a little lacking. So I slightly edited it, though I still don't think its good enough, but my brain isn't working. If you guys want, you can check that out, but it's up to you.

Anyway, I think this chapter's a little late, but then again, they usually are…

Guy: You got that right.

Matthew: But we all know that you're a "busy" person. So lets not keep you or the OTHER PEOPLE in this world waiting and start the chapter already!

FireEdge: Okay, okay…

Reviews:

The Blazing Blade: Haha, sorry. The Marcus thing is a joke I have with my friends. Its nothing you have to worry about. And yes, it does say that in the game, but it also shows Florina calling her pegasus "Huey" in her supports with Hector. So, I went with Huey, it's a cooler name too. :P

TheOneAndOnlyT: You already know the deal with the re-edited chapter. And yes, there is a bit of a love triangle, but not that much. There are definitely more chapters after this. Just keep waiting. :)

Ed, the Master Tactician: I can always count on you for the never-ending compliments, can't I, Ed?

Emarista the Torturer: Yeah, same here! Well, looks like Wil won't have to take care of Hector, you can do it for him!

Fury: Awww.

Poyo: Yes, I tease Guy a lot for many reasons. But no, you shall not see me kissing him in a tree.

Wyrmseeker: I'm glad I could help! And thanks for the compliment!

Ragnarok-legend: Hehe, it's no problem. I'm sure I can fit Haru in somewhere in the ending… I can't say, or it'll be spoiling it. ;)

Lord Cynic: Awww, leave Kirby alone, Cynic!

Ed, the Master Tactician: Eh, it doesn't really matter, since its taking me a long time to update anyway.

Guy/Matthew: OUCH!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Stray Arrow

Chapter 18

Florina sat quietly off to one side, tears streaming down her cheeks. It had only been a few hours ago that Eliwood and a couple of others had gone into the cave. Searching for the legendary weapon, Durandal, to help defeat Nergal. Everyone celebrated when the red-haired lord came out, the mighty sword in his hands.

It was all going so well, when suddenly they had heard a screech in the sky. Florina still couldn't believe what she saw. A dragon. Growing up in Ilia, she had heard many stories of ice dragons. But never thought she'd actually see one. But there it was.

Everyone was thankful, of course, when Eliwood struck it down with the sword of blazing fire. They thought it was over. But they were wrong. To their horror, Nergal had teleported in and told them the dreaded truth. The dragon was Ninian.

Florina had been devastated, and she still was. Ninian had been a good friend of hers. She was kind, quiet just like her. And she was even from Ilia! She didn't know anyone else, next to her sisters, whom came from Ilia.

The young girl swallowed as she remembered seeing the enormous dragon flying over head. How she had been afraid. How could she be? It was Ninian. She felt ashamed of herself for acting the way she had.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her. Letting out a gasp, she swivelled around and came face to face with Hector.

"H-Hello, L-Lord Hector…" She stuttered, trying to compose herself in front of the lord. She didn't want to look weak in front of one of the army leaders. But on the contrary, the man just smiled.

"It's okay, Florina. You can cry. No one here will blame you. We all know that you were friends with Ninian. We all were." He said gently. A sincere smile then spread upon his features. "And you can just call me Hector. I never really liked being addressed as Lord too much, anyway." The smile turned into a frown for a moment, but returned in a flash.

The girl blinked at the man. She wasn't too sure what to say to him. She was sure that he was trying to be kind and friendly, but the situation was making her a bit uncomfortable.

"Uh… Th-thank you, Lo-- H-Hector…" Florina replied awkwardly. She really wanted to leave. To be alone perhaps, or with her pegasus. Or maybe Wil… But to her slight dismay, the lord sat down next to her.

"So, Florina, what have you been up to lately?" He asked casually. Florina edged away nervously, trying to stay calm.

"N-Nothing much, Lord Hector." Her speech fell back to formal addresses in her uneasiness.

* * *

Nearby, Wil was struggling against Elfaiya. The tactician was trying to drag the sniper by the arm to where she knew Florina was. The other girl needed comforting, but Wil seemed to think the opposite.

"Elfaiya, I think she wants to be alone right now."

"No. She. Doesn't." The girl replied, punctuating each word as she tugged at Wil. "She's alone, just lost one of her friends, and is probably wondering where the hell you are!"

"… But what if she _does _want to be alone? Then what?" He asked.

"Whether she wants company or not doesn't matter. She'll like it if you come to her. To show that you care." Came the curt reply. Wil sighed. He should've known better than to question her. The blue-haired girl was as stubborn as a mule. Maybe more.

"Fine… I guess."

"Good." She let go of his arm, knowing that he would follow willingly. Suddenly she stopped dead in her tracks.

"By Father Sky… Look what we have here." She muttered under her breath. Wil followed her eyes and his gaze rested upon Florina. And next to her was Hector.

"What's he doing there?" He asked, surprised. He couldn't help keep the sharpness out of his voice. The young man hoped that Elfaiya hadn't noticed it. The last thing he wanted was for the tactician to think that he was possessive.

But the other girl didn't so much as raise an eyebrow. "… Are you going to interrupt?" She asked instead.

"Wh-What?" Wil exclaimed.

"Don't 'what' me. You know what I'm saying." She replied.

"Isn't that rude, though? After having Kent drill all of those manners in my head back in Caelin, I can safely say that."

"Not if he's trying to steal your lover." The young girl said in a slightly singsong voice that irritated more than a few people to no end. Elfaiya didn't need to see to know that Wil's mouth twitched at the comment.

"Fine. If it bugs you so much…" He said, swallowing despite himself. _What have I gotten myself into? I shouldn't listen to Elfaiya. Now I'm going to look the fool in front of Florina, and a possessive jerk in front of Lord Hector. Think, Wil, think! There must be something you can use as an excuse to interrupt them!_

"What are you waiting for?" The tactician prodded him.

"I'm not waiting for anything! I-I'm just thinking of a reason to interrupt them." Wil snapped, though his face quickly reddened. Elfaiya rolled her eyes.

"Say you need her that I need to talk to her. That should get her to leave and let you two have some alone time." She replied. "Seriously, you're what? 4 years older than I am, and you couldn't think of one lame excuse?"

"And what am I suppose to do after that? Tell her that I just said that in front of Hector just to get her away from him? You probably don't even need to talk to her!" The sniper accused.

"Or so you think. I do have some matters to discuss with her, you know. But you'll still be alone with her, even if for a little while. For you'll have to escort her to me. And I'm not that easy to find, if you get my drift." The girl replied matter-of-factly. The sniper sighed. The young girl seemed to have a response for everything.

"I guess that'll work…"

"Of course it will!"

"Right, whatever you say." He smirked. The tactician let out a haughty sniff and turned around with a sweep of her cape. She then walked away, leaving Wil alone to put the plan into action.

The sniper turned to look at Florina and Hector once more. Taking a deep breath, and calming himself, he strode into the clearing casually.

"Ah, Florina! I was looking for you!" He said cheerily, looking at the girl he loved. Pretending to see Hector for the first time, he blinked his eyes in mock surprise, hoping the lord didn't see him.

"Lord Hector! I didn't see you there for a moment. I'm sorry to interrupt, but could I take Florina away from you a bit? Elfaiya wants to see Florina." He was careful in choosing his words, somewhat hoping that the lord got his message.

The young girl's face brightened considerably when she saw Wil. Florina quickly jumped up without hesitation, and was soon by the young man's side.

"I-I'm sorry to have to l-leave you without c-company, L-Lord Hector." She murmured, her big eyes, blinking. The other man put on an obviously forced smile.

"It's alright, Florina. I don't mind, go and see Elfaiya." He answered, standing up and dusting off his pants.

"Okay, Florina, we'd better get going. Who knows where Elfaiya could be right now." He said with a smile. Florina returned the smile weakly. Tearstains could still be made out on her cheeks.

Turning, the couple went off in the other direction. Soon they were out of earshot of Hector, and Wil turned to the falcoknight.

"Are you okay? After… what happened…" He asked kindly. Florina nodded.

"I-I'm okay… I-I know that Ninian wouldn't want me to mourn for her… I'm sure she's in a better place. Where humans and dragons can coexist in peace." She replied quietly.

"Yes, that's the way to think." His cheery reply came out automatically. He always seemed to do that. Whether the other person appreciated it or not. "Everything will turn out fine. Dwelling in the past isn't going to do us any good."

"I guess not…" Florina answered with another nod.

"It's better to think about the future. About what could happen."

"About the future…" She murmured. The girl glanced at Wil. "What do you think will happen to us? After the final battle. I know it's coming soon… Lord Eliwood, Lyn, Lord Hector, Elfaiya, they all have an attitude like the end is about to come."

_Yeah, an attitude like the end is about to come. She seemed cheery enough to make me do this in the first place…_ Wil thought to himself.

"I'm not sure really…" The brown-haired young man replied with a shrug. "I never really thought about it before. I… I guess that I'll return to my family in Pherae… Or I might stay in Caelin. Unless something comes up…" With the last part, he glanced at Florina.

The girl was fully aware of the look Wil gave her, and she blushed when she realized so.

"What will you do?" He asked.

"… I guess I might stay in Caelin, also… Or I'll return to Ilia with my sisters. There are always a need of pegasus knights." Answered Florina.

"I see." They then walked on in silence for a while, looking about the camp for signs of the blue-haired tactician. Wil hadn't thought Elfaiya was serious about being hard to find, but he realized that she wasn't joking what-so-ever.

As they walked, the thought that he had been brooding over popped into his mind. He had been trying to slip it in to conversation mere minutes ago, but he just couldn't get it right.

_How hard can it be? You're just asking her a simple question…_ He thought to himself. But it was harder than he thought. It was a big decision for him to make, as well as hers.

They soon found Elfaiya, who was conveniently located in the most remote part of the camp. She was lounging over a map with her usual company, Matthew and Guy. Seeing them approach, she shooed the two others away and eventually Wil himself.

He left willingly, not really caring what they were talking about. But as he left, his hands were tucked away in his pockets. One hand was fingering a small band of metal. It was made of gold, its shine slightly dulled over the ages. On the inside of the ring was engraved: "Eternal Love".

DUN DUN DUN!!

Guy: Ouch! My ears!

FireEdge: Muahahahahahaha!

Matthew: I'm sure you can all guess what she's planning…

FireEdge: It's the… RING!

Guy: She's in one of her moods again…

Matthew: I'd suggest reviewing, and then leaving. Your sanity might depend on it…

Guy: Then you wait a few hundred years for her to actually update.

FireEdge: HEY! Get em' Kirby!

Kirby: POYO!

--FireEdge--


	19. Chapter 19

Gah, sorry for the long update. But I've been having a writer's block for this fic… Not to mention that I have something big going on at school right now, and its taking up my time. But here's the next chapter, anyway!

Guy: So, how long has it been? A month?

Matthew: Dunno, two weeks?

FireEdge: Shut up, both of you…

Reviews:

Hamano Ayumi: Yup, I was in Fire Emblem waaay before ToS. Thanks for reviewing this story as well!

Ragnarok-legend: Yes I am. Though could you keep it low? I don't relatively like revealing my personal information (Don't ask why I did, sorta, back there). And the twisted charm is on Wil, remember? Not Florina.

Lord Cynic: Hehe, Kirby's so smart!

TheOneAndOnlyT: Good point… I completely forgot about that, but I guess it's because of Florina's shy personality that's hindering me with the more affectionate scenes… I'll try and improve that. Oh yes, the ring…. Don't worry, I only brought that up. He doesn't really "propose" or anything until one of the last chapters. It just seemed appropriate. And statistically they have known each other for… maybe 1 and a half years or 2. But yeah, the confession took place perhaps a week or two past. Thanks for bringing those things up for me.

The Blazing Blade: Thanks for reviewing!

montblancerk: Hehe, thanks for the tip, I'll try and add more angst into it. Though it might be a little hard.

Wyrmseeker: Wow, I'm confused. But okay!

erkxserra rule: Thanks for reviewing!

Emarista the Torturer: Yes… the ring…. My preciousss.

Duelist of Middle Earth (x2): It's okay, I'm glad you're still reading my fic though! Thanks for the comments, and I didn't notice that there were any errors, thanks for pointing them out. I'll be more careful next time. Also, as for a sequel. I won't be doing one. But I have a feeling that you'll like my last chapter. ;)

Kitten.Got.Claws: Thanks for your review!

Initial D ROCKS: Thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Stray Arrow

Chapter 19

Wil lay on the back of his bunk. It was late afternoon, and outside his window, he could tell that the sun was just starting to set. The sky was streaked with violets, pinks and oranges. What remaining light streamed through the glass and onto his face.

The sniper was in a bored mood, they were resting in Castle Ostia for the night, and the lords and tactician were busy conversing with Lord Athos. The rest of the troops were to rest while they could. He knew that they were to head out first thing tomorrow morning.

He supposed that he enjoyed having some time to be alone, not having to fight, or worry about an ambush in such a fortified fortress as this. Afterall, he got to sleep in a real bed again, there was plentiful of good food. It couldn't get any better for them, he guessed, not in a situation like they were in anyway.

But as he lay there, staring at the ceiling, ignoring the sharpening sound of Raven's sword form the bed underneath his. His thoughts drifted back to Florina. His vision seemed to cloud slightly as he envisioned her. He could almost feel her small body in his arms, her soft lavender hair nestled under his chin. How he longed to hold her. Had he even seen her the past day? The sniper didn't think so.

_Maybe I could see her now… It's not that late yet, and I'm sure she wouldn't mind either. _With those thoughts, Wil sat upright with a creak from the bed. Swinging his legs over the side of the bunk, making sure not to hit the man below him, Wil jumped off nimbly. Raven looked up once, but resumed his sharpening a moment after. It was no interest of his.

Wil lingered by the door a second, debating whether to take his bow and quiver with him or not. But shrugged and decided against it. It wasn't like they were going to face battle anytime soon tonight anyway. The sniper then strode out the door and heading down the hallway briskly.

He hadn't the vaguest idea of where Florina's room was, whom she no doubt shared with her sisters, but he had a feeling that it was in this direction. Most of the females, next to Lyn and the tactician, were rooming over in that wing anyway. How hard could it be to find her?

After a few minutes of walking in silence, he finally approached an open door. Walking by and glancing in, he saw that this was the healer's room. He could just catch a glimpse of Serra and the red-haired girl, Priscilla. Dismissing them immediately, he continued his search.

The next few rooms were closed, and he didn't want to disturb them. Not until he checked the other opened rooms first. He knew that this was probably a waste of time, but he didn't mind. The young man had nothing else to do anyway.

Finally he came upon another open door. Glancing in, he saw that it was Nino and Rebecca's room. Seeing him look in, the young mage looked up from one of her magic tomes.

"Oh, hi Wil! Are you looking for someone?" She asked curiously.

"Uh, yeah. Do you know which room Florina is in?" Wil asked, rubbing the back of his neck, a bit sheepishly.

"You just missed it! Her and her sisters are in the room next to ours!" Rebecca replied with a grin to her childhood friend. For some reason the smile that the little mage gave him made him blush. When his face took on a pink tinge, the other sniper exchanged a glance with Nino. To his dismay they both giggled and looked at him with mischievous smiles.

"I-I'll leave now!" He stammered, taking on a deeper shade of red and quickly left the room. With a sigh as he was out of sight of the two green-haired girls, he went to the closed door next the their room. Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand and rapped his knuckles against the wooden door.

After waiting a while, he wasn't too sure if anyone was in, since the no one was answering. Just as he was going to knock again, the door flung open, leaving his fist in mid-air. He froze for a moment, coming face-to-face with Farina. After staring at the blue-haired woman, he quickly lowered his arm in embarrassment and opened his mouth.

"I-Is Florina in?" He asked hesitantly. Farina didn't answer for a moment and stared at him menacingly. The brown-haired man resisted the urge to shrink back at the woman's stare. He wasn't very good at standing up to people like that. After an awkward silence, a voice broke out from behind Farina.

"I'm sorry, Wil. You just missed her. She went for a walk a few minutes ago." Came Fiora's kindly voice. "Farina, stop standing there and glaring at the poor guy!" She snapped at he sister.

"Hmph." Farina replied with a sniff, stepping back. "Have fun looking for my little sister." She added, then closed the door instantly in his face.

"Er… Thanks?" He said to the door. Sometimes he wished that Florina's older sister wouldn't treat him like that. It was really disturbing, but he knew that Farina was just looking out for her younger sibling.

With a shrug of his shoulders, he turned on his booted heels and headed back the way he came from. _I wonder where she could've gone? Maybe she went to see her pegasus?_ He pondered. But before he could go any farther, he heard a loud sound coming from outside.

"Huh?" He quickly bounded to one of the small windows on the wall and glanced out. "What the--?!" There beneath him were many soldiers. The door of the mighty fortress was somehow knocked down, and they were storming in. He could tell immediately that they were the Black Fang.

Moments later, there came the sound of the alarm, a blaring horn. Wil could already hear the sounds of resonating footsteps, from both allies and enemies. Without a second thought, he quickly raced towards the sound of the horn.

Finally reaching a large room, connecting to the throne room itself, he saw Eliwood sitting upon a mighty white steed. A horn to his mouth. Seeing most of the troops gathered, the red-haired lord lowered the horn and drew out his rapier, preparing to charge the enemy. Wil ran to take his position when suddenly there came a shout from behind him.

"Wil!" He turned quickly to see Rebecca, a look of shock on her face. "Wil! What are you _doing_?! Why don't you have a weapon with you?" Wil's face remained blank for a minute, and his eyes widened as he realized that he had left his silver bow in his room.

"Wil!" He turned quickly to see Rebecca, a look of shock on her face. "Wil! What are you ?! Why don't you have a weapon with you?" Wil's face remained blank for a minute, and his eyes widened as he realized that he had left his silver bow in his room. 

"Oh no, I left it in my room! But there's no time to go back for it now!" He exclaimed. Rebecca rolled her eyes and unhooked something from her back.

"Here, use my spare steel bow. I don't want to see my best friend rushing into danger blindly. As usual." Putting the bow into his hands, and giving him a handful of arrows from her quiver, she gave him a quick nod and ran off to join the others, taking her place next to Raven.

Wil quickly tucked the arrows into his belt, they fit uncomfortably, but he had no quiver, unless he made his way to Merlinus somewhere. He then took his spot on the battlefield, waiting for his orders as he started to string the bow.

"Wil! There you are! Whoa! Where's your quiver?" Elfaiya demanded as she ran up to him.

"Er… I forgot it. I got the bow and arrows from Rebecca…" He answered meekly, with a weak smile. The other girl smacked the side of her head with her hand, muttering under her breath.

"Ugh, go get a spare quiver from Merlinus, and a better bow if he has any… Then take the frontlines with Florina, Erk and Serra. I'll send some backup in a minute, but you guys are closest to… the leading morph." She replied quickly. "Good luck, I'll see you later." The tactician then bounded off to talk to the other troops that had yet to get to the more heated fighting.

Looking around, he spotted Merlinus and quickly received a quiver and more arrows, though it had turned out that Merlinus didn't have any more bows. Taking an arrow out of his quiver, he headed towards where his assigned group was battling.

"Wil!" Florina exclaimed happily and somewhat with relief. She had just pulled her lance out of the falling body of a mercenary. He noticed that she wore the Delphi shield on her arm. That made him feel much better, seeing the amount of archers there were in the facility.

"Took you long enough! There are so many of them!" Added Serra with frustration.

"It seems that they planned this out very well." Erk nodded in agreement with the bishop. "They knew that we were unsuspecting and took the opportunity to attack us in large numbers. The sage stopped talking as he shot an Elfire spell at an oncoming sniper.

"I can see that." Wil replied, taking aim with the heavy steel bow. He released with a grunt as it hit a nearby mercenary.

"And they're using poison weapons!!" Serra exclaimed forcibly. Wil looked at one of the enemy knight's weapons, they dripped with lethal liquids. He frowned, this just wasn't their day.

With another disgruntled sigh, he ran off a ways, to shoot at a cavalier that was getting to close to them. He could hear Florina following him, only a few feet away. He couldn't help but smile a bit at that. As he killed another enemy, he stopped to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Using this bow took a lot of energy. It was much heavier than other bows, though powerful. It was very hard to use. But as he let his guard down, he was surrounded by a dark aura.

"What the hell?!" Wil cried, feeling shadows engulfing him. Nearby he heard Florina scream his name. In seconds, he realized that he was the victim of dark magic. The sniper looked frantically this way and that, hoping to dodge the oncoming blows of shadows. But before he could react, he felt a cutting pain, like that of a knife, yet not of a knife, slicing his back. He screamed in pain as another like it struck him in the leg, and another on his arm. It was followed by another and another and another. Until he felt as if half the energy in his body was drained from him.

The dark circle around him faded and he collapsed onto the ground, panting. His arms were wobbling as they held him up, his hand gripped his bow shakily. He could hear footsteps running towards him, Serra no doubt.

"Wil!" Florina cried again, coming next to him. Despite the battle, she dismounted her flying steed and knelt next to him. "Are you okay?!" She exclaimed worriedly. Her pegasus let out a neigh, informing Florina of the oncoming mercenary. She quickly reacted by pulling out a javelin from a pouch hanging from Huey's saddle. Thrusting the javelin, it sank into the mercenary's side, causing him to fall to the ground speechlessly. He was only another morph, afterall. But then as she turned back, she just became aware of a heavily armoured knight, his lance dripping of poison.

The girl let out a scream, as she saw the lance heading straight towards her, it was impossible to dodge it, with a javelin in one hand and her pegasus' reins in another. Florina knew that she shouldn't have dismounted, but she couldn't help it. Now she was going to be struck. She knew that Serra could heal it, but the pain was still going to happen. Just as she braced herself for the blow, she let out a strangled gasp.

From his position on the floor, Wil used all his strength to push himself up and jump at Florina, hoping to shove her out of the way. Knowing that there was a big chance of getting himself impaled by the lance, the sniper did it anyway. He might die right now, being as weak as he was anyway, Serra couldn't possible get to him past the new onslaught of enemies.

"Ugh…!" Wil grunted, the lance sinking into his stomach. He dropped his bow as the enemy knight pulled his lance free, getting ready to strike again. The young man dropped to the floor, unable to move. He could see the lance's shadow above him, ready to strike down. "Looks like this is the end…" He wasn't going to die yet, but the blow that was about to hit him would certainly finish him off, and if it didn't somehow, then he would die from the poison he could already feel seeping through his veins.

"WIL!" Florina cried, tears misting her light blue eyes. In one fluid motion, she was up atop Huey and her silver lance was in hand. Before the knight could strike again, she had the lance sink into the uncovered flesh of the morph. She yanked her lance free and kneeling her steed in again, she thrusted the weapon through the knight's body. The armoured morph fell onto his knees, collapsing in a big clank of metal. Practically dropping her lance, she ran to Wil's lying form.

"Wil!" She knelt down next to him, trying to prop him up, but he was much to big for her to do so. But she settled with resting his head in her lap. "Wil! You're going to be okay! Please hold on! You promised you'd stay alive!" She said frantically. Pulling a vulnerary out of her pouch, she poured the contents onto his wound. The bleeding seemed to stop somewhat, but the wound still stayed open, and she knew that the poison was still present. The vulnerary container was empty however.

"Florina…" Wil spoke weakly. He knew he had done a stupid thing, taking that blow for her, but he wanted her to live. The sniper could feel his breath coming shorter. His vision was starting to blur, he could barely make out Florina's anguished face.

"Serra!!" The falcoknight called to the bishop, who was desperately trying to make her way towards them. With agonizing slowness, the pink-haired girl finally approached them.

"Dear Saint Elimine!" She exclaimed, gripping her Mend staff. "I'll heal him first, then purge the poison. After that we'll take him to somewhere safer." The healer informed Florina. Holding the staff over Wil, she opened her mouth to say the incantation.

"Me--!" Just as she was going to let loose her healing powers, she choked. She took a rattling breath, and her eyes widened with panic. Looking down, the cleric could just make out the vanishing traces of the Silence spell.

"…!" Her mouth was open, but no words came out.

"S-Serra?!" Florina asked frantically, tears openly streaming down her face. The bishop looked helplessly at her, her face stunned. "Y-You can heal him, right?! He'll be okay, right?!" She asked, her hold on Wil tightening.

Wil closed his eyes, and quickly reopened them again, but it was getting harder and harder. The poison was taking a real toll on him, and the effects of the Eclipse spell only added to the damage. He swallowed dryly and opened his mouth.

"Fl…Florina. Don't… cry…" He stuttered. Florina glanced down at him, her face taking a look of panic.

"I-I can't n-not cry! Y-You're going to die, i-if--" She broke out in a cry and couldn't continue her words, the battle around her seemed to fade from her plain of existence. On the other side of the sniper, the muted bishop sobbed silently.

More troops had come by now, and the fight was starting to be more controlled. Most of the others gave them a quick sympathetic glance, but continued on their way to end the battle.

Florina didn't really care though, she hugged Wil close to her, her sobs racking her small body, her tears dripping onto his shirt. Wil stared blindly ahead. He wanted to live, for Florina's sake, but it was so hard to fight. He felt like his whole body was immobilized, his spirit fading. Suddenly he felt a cold shock through his body.

A flash of light blinded him temporarily, he felt the coolness spreading through his body, the source coming from his neck. Forcing his head to look down, he saw a faint light coming from the base of his neck. The charm…

Florina paused, also seeing the light. Letting out a small gasp, she saw the aura encircle him. The bleeding stopped, and the wound seemed less grave. But that's all it did. The injury was still not fully healed, and the presence of the poison was still there.

But some colour seemed to have returned to Wil's cheeks. A faint smile played across his lips. Looks like he might live afterall…

Okay, I think I'll leave it at that for now. You know, I wasn't planning on writing this until the weekends… But… that's good for you guys.

Guy: You're horrible at writing that kind of stuff…

Matthew: Be nice, Guy.

FireEdge: So I'm not the best at writing that kind of scene, but I tried! I really did!!

Guy: Yes. We're sure you did.

Matthew: Mmhmm.

FireEdge: Go away! Yeah, I really need your input on this chapter. I'm not too sure if I did that well a job with the "Wil almost dying" scene. I don't think the emotions were good enough. But that's just me… Review please! And I'll try to have the next chapter up as soon as possible. If you're lucky, before next week even.

--FireEdge--


	20. Chapter 20

Okay, so I didn't get to update this last week… But I just wrapped up some big fair thing at school, so I should be a little freer… I hope… Well, Here's your update!

Guy: Uh-huh.

Matthew: Good for you.

FireEdge: I hate you guys…

Reviews:

Hamano Ayumi: Hehe, sorry! But I needed to add more emotion in it. And that was for something I'm building up this chapter… Hopefully, this one won't scare you to death!

TheOneAndOnlyT: Yeah, I noticed that after I uploaded it. This one will be longer, I hope. Yes, I realized that Eclipse never hits, but I had to think of something! Memory loss…? That's a good idea… You know, I've just noticed that this chapter seems to have the same qualities as your most recent chapter in _Two Angels_… I don't know if you'll notice, but it's freaky, since it was unintentional…

: Yeah, I noticed that after I uploaded it. This one will be longer, I hope. Yes, I realized that Eclipse never hits, but I had to think of something! Memory loss…? That's a good idea… You know, I've just noticed that this chapter seems to have the same qualities as your most recent chapter in … I don't know if you'll notice, but it's freaky, since it was unintentional…

Wyrmseeker: I'm sorry you're in a bad mood. :( But is the paragraphs _that_ bad? I can see that a few of them are a little long, but still…

: I'm sorry you're in a bad mood. :( But is the paragraphs bad? I can see that a few of them are a little long, but still…

montblancerk: You're the second reviewer who's said it was too short… I guess I'm slacking… Yeah, I finally found a way to make Florina more… passionate. Just wait 'til you see her this chapter! And sure, I'll review some of your stories!

Ragnarok-legend: Hehe. -Laughs nervously at the quotation marks- Yeah, about the "sypathetic glance" thing… Well, it was a really hard battle, and they didn't have time to worry about someone who was hurt, since it was the healer's job. And Rebecca didn't see him… she was… somewhere else… yeah, lets go with that.

The Blazing Blade: Hey! I resent that! … Even if you have a point… But this one was fast! Sort of.

Aeros Fujita: Thank you so much for the compliment!

alena: Don't worry! Wil won't die! He's much too important to die!

Ed, the Master Tactician: Hehe, I'm glad you checked too.

Brent yelle: Awww, poor Guy. But he definitely deserves that! Thanks for reviewing!

Sokuma: I was right, it wasn't dramatic enough, but I didn't really have that much inspiration that chapter. Hopefully, this one will be better.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Stray Arrow

Chapter 20

Florina still sniffed, tears still running down her cheeks, though they were slower. She was flying slowly behind Kent and Sain. The two paladins had a stretcher held between their two horses, Wil lay on it, his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling slowly.

She had finally recovered over the shock of what happened, well slightly at least. And she was very relieved that Wil was going to be okay. Though she was grateful that the charm had healed, she supposed it could be called, Wil. She didn't exactly know what to make of it.

Even if she had found out that it had belonged to the legendary hero, Barigan, she still pondered about how it had been removed from his grave, where it had hung on his neck. The pendant had saved Wil's life so many times… How many times would it continue to pull through? And why did it keep on doing that? What kind of charm was this thing?

Soon however, they reached Wil's room that he shared with Raven. Kent and Sain dismounted and carefully took the stretcher, walking inside the room. The two lay him on the lower bunk. The two then straightened after making sure that the sniper was settled comfortably.

"We'll leave you with Wil for a while." Kent stated, looking at the young falcoknight.

"I think Priscilla and Serra, if she's well enough, will be here soon to check up on him." Sain added with a nod, and a reassuring smile. Or as reassuring as it could get. "We'll take leave of you now." The two then walked out the door, leading their horses back to the stables.

Florina dismounted Huey and walked into the room. She pulled up a chair, and sat on it, looking down on Wil's serene face. Just looking at him, laying there, caused her lower lip to quiver. She was about to start crying all over again.

She once again felt like it was all her fault. He wouldn't have been poisoned and impaled by a lance if she hadn't been so careless, he would have been okay. Sure he'd still have suffered from the Eclipse spell, but at least he wouldn't have been hurt any farther.

Florina took Wil's hand and held it tight, fresh tears starting once again to fall down her cheeks. She remembered when he had said that he would protect her. But she didn't want him to protect her this way. By risking his own life for her…

It wasn't fair that he had to always suffer, she again felt useless. Was she fated to always be weak? Always needing protection from others? She remembered that back on the plains, Lyn had always protected her.

The Sacaean woman was always looking out for her, and had even agreed to take her along on her journey a few years back. And this was how she repaid Lyn. By almost getting one of their archers killed by letting her emotions overwhelm her. If only she was stronger… But she wasn't. She'd always be the weak little Florina that everyone saw her as.

She screwed her eyes shut, trying to make herself stop crying. But it wasn't working. Trying to stop herself just made it harder to keep the tears from coming. So the girl sat crying, silently, the only other sound was Wil's breathing.

She sat like that for what seemed eternity, every moment dragged by, as she watched Wil's body through blurred eyes. She wished that he was sitting up, holding her in his arms, smiling and laughing. Telling her a funny story that would raise her spirits.

But he couldn't. The young girl could only hope that the sniper would pull through. Her reveries were interuppted as there came a knock from the open door.

"Florina?" Serra's voice rasped hoarsely, her voice was only starting to come back from the battle. Beside her stood Priscilla, she carried two different staves. The redheaded girl took a step forward.

"I'm sorry, Florina, but you have to leave while we heal Wil…" She said. Florina stared at the two of them for a moment, then back at Wil. She blinked back tears, not really wanting to leave him, but she knew that they needed room to do their work, and the room wasn't very large.

"O-Okay…" She stammered, standing up, slowly releasing his hand. Florina then slowly made her way to the door. Priscilla gave her arm a gentle reassuring squeeze, before turning towards her patient. With another glance backwards towards Wil, she walked out the door.

Going up to Huey, she wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face into his mane. The pegasus whinnied quietly, and nuzzled his mistress' hair. She pressed her cheek against his neck and breathed in deeply. Her fingers traced a pattern on the pegasus' smooth skin. Florina wasn't sure how long she stood there, staring at a single spot on her steed's neck.

But suddenly, she heard the sound of heavy footsteps. The lavender-haired girl didn't look up, let alone care who it even was. The footsteps then stopped beside her. A large shadow loomed over her. Still she didn't budge. It wasn't until the owner of the shadow spoke did she look up ever so slightly.

"Florina." Hector finally spoke. His eyes met those of the young girl. He could see that she was crying. But the girl said nothing, only stared at him with an unreadable expression. "Are you alright?"

"… C-Could you l-leave me a-alone, please?" She asked, looking back down at Huey's neck. Her voice sounded meek, but she was tearing apart inside. Both from sorrow and anger.

"You need to talk to someone. It's not good to keep your feelings bottled inside of you." Hector continued on. Florina's fingers tightened their grip on Huey's mane. The pegasus threw its head back with a snort. The blue-haired lord placed a gauntleted hand on her small shoulder. The young girl twitched at the man's movement. And a shuddering feeling ran through her, as she felt his hand rest on her shoulder.

"It's alright to let it all out." The lord added, in a tone that was meant to be comforting. She shrank back slightly, if you could see her blue eyes, you would notice a different spark about them. Tears silently rolled down her face.

* * *

Priscilla let out a long breath, and lowered her staff. Beside her, Serra did like-wise. The two healers, were slightly sweating, and their faces a bit flushed. The healing had taken a larger toll on them then they thought it would've. 

"I think… we did it." Serra said, finally. Her purple eyes scanned Wil's body. The wound in his abdomen was gone, only tender pink skin could be seen. The colour had also returned to his face.

"Yes, I hope so…" The red-haired girl nodded. "But… I don't know if there was any damage to his… mental health. We can't heal that. Afterall, he was on the brink of death. Perhaps even _was_ dead…" The valkyrie shivered as she thought of that possibility.

"…" Serra stared at Wil silently. "Maybe he was… I've seen a lot of weird things that have happened around this guy… But… I swear, even if I hadn't been Silenced, I couldn't have saved him, as much as I hate to admit it. I thought it was just a minor wound at first, but after that druid got me, I had time to check his wound out. It wasn't possible for him to survive…"

Priscilla's head shot up, her large green eyes holding a confused yet curious glint in them. "He wouldn't have… survived? Then how…?" The young bishop strode over to Wil. A gloved hand moved his shirt collar down. There lay a chain with a small pendant around his neck.

"What is that?" Priscilla walked over immediately, leaning down, a hand brushing back a strand of red hair. She examined the little charm. It was made of a glittering aged silver, in the shape of a star. "A… charm? What's so special about it?"

"… I've seen this thing work before. It seems to have magical properties to it. It projected a barrier to protect once. Now it… saved him from death. I don't know _what_ it is, but it brought Wil back to life!" Serra exclaimed, looking over at Priscilla.

"Is that possible?" The green-clad girl asked, her eyes blinking in surprise. Serra shook her head.

"Technically, no. But who knows… I heard that this charm is over a 1000 years old… Apparently, it used to belong to one of the 8 Generals, Barigan." The bishop replied with a shrug. Priscilla contemplated that for a moment. She then stretched out her arm and her fingers gently brushed the charm. But they shot back seconds after.

"What's wrong?" Serra questioned, seeing the other girl's reaction.

"I-I just… touched it, and…"

"And what?" The bishop asked curiously. Priscilla turned to face her, her face a mixture of sadness, and confusion.

"I don't know what to make of it… When I touched it, I felt a small… shock of some sort. But I also received an image. A few of them actually."

"Images?" Prodded Serra, a light rekindling in her eyes. Priscilla bit the tip of her gloved thumb nervously.

"Well, at first I saw a man… He was of medium stature, he had dark blue hair and it was kind of long at the back… He was riding a tall white stallion. But then, suddenly, he fell… I don't know why, or how. He just plunged… Then I saw Wil. He had his eyes closed, and he was laying on his back, drifting through the ocean on a small wooden raft. That's it…" Said the valkyrie.

"That's certainly strange… What do you think it all meant?" Serra's head tilted to one side in puzzlement. A finger twirled around her pink hair as she bit her lower lip in thought. "Huh?" She was jerked out of her thoughts when she saw movement coming from the bed. Wil's arm twitched and his eyes started to flutter open.

"Oh! He's awake!" Priscilla exclaimed, immediately stepping over to the side of the bed. But suddenly, there came a loud cry from outside, and her head jerked up. The two girls shot a glance at each other before rushing out the small room.

* * *

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Florina shrieked. She finally had enough. The blue-haired lord had taken a startled step back, away from the falcoknight. She took in a deep shuddering breath. 

Hector had tried to comfort her, but he only made it worse, she just wanted to be alone for a bit. But the young lord had kept on persisting, saying that he understood how she felt. But he didn't… No one did, right now.

"You don't understand ANYTHING I've been going through!" She continued to yell. "How can you possibly understand the feeling of having almost killed the one you love?! And now I have to sit here, waiting for Wil to recover and wake up! But I don't eve KNOW if he'll wake up! And it's all my fault...!" By now, her anger had turned more to tears, as she collapsed onto the ground, crying.

Priscilla and Serra let out a small gasp, seeing Florina on the ground, sobbing hysterically. Hector stood frozen, slight confusion painted on his face. Their heads turned to look down the corridor when they heard footsteps ringing against the marble floor.

"What in the world is going on here?!" Lyn cried, furious. Behind her they saw that Kent and Rebecca were with her. Her angry face immediately turned to one of worry, as she saw her friend on the ground crying.

"Florina! What's wrong?" The lord ran over to the young girl and knelt down beside her, her hands on the flyer's shoulders. Kent followed in a brisk walk, and took the skittish pegasus's reins, watching everything at once. His gaze rested on Hector more than once.

"What happened?" Rebecca also ran over to the others. She looked at Priscilla and Serra expectantly, but the two other girls just shrugged their shoulders. They were just as clueless as she was.

Lyn on the other hand had an idea as to what had happened. Her head shot up, her long ponytail settling on her shoulders. Her dark blue-green eyes piercing into Hector's.

"Hector! I told you to stay away from Florina!" The Sacaean woman jumped up in a fury. The other lord settled his stance.

"I didn't do anything! I was just trying to make her feel better! Is that a crime?!" Hector demanded angrily. Priscilla and Serra looked nervously behind them, through the door to where their patient rested.

Lyn caught their gaze from the corner of her eye, and knew that she shouldn't be yelling right now. Not when Wil was still recovering, with merely a wall between them. She nodded and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I was _going_ to pay Wil a visit, but it looks like it'll have to wait…" She said, calming down. But she still glared at Hector. "But I need to settle this now… I'll come and see Wil later, Serra, Priscilla." She then gave the other lord a look that clearly said she wanted him to come with her. Now.

Hector grinded his teeth, but grudgingly obliged. Kent offered to stable Florina's pegasus for her and left on Lyn's heels. The four young girls were left to look after the others leave, Florina's quiet sobs the only thing breaking the silence.

Rebecca knelt down to the floor, peering at Florina's face. The orchid-haired girl's eyes were red from crying, and her cheeks were wet. Her gloved hands were anchored in her lap.

"It's okay, Florina. Wil will be okay. He's a strong guy, I've grown up with him, and I've seen him come through from a lot of injuries before. That's why he's always so cheery! Because he knows that everything will be okay in the end." Rebecca said soothingly.

The other girl's sobs didn't subside, but they lessened, and she began to breathe more deeply and slowly again. Florina looked up into Rebecca's smiling face.

"R-Really?" She asked hesitantly. The sniper nodded, giving Florina a reassuring hug. The falcoknight was beginning to feel better slight. Having someone with her that truly did understand her feelings.

"Speaking of Wil recovering…" Serra started, clearing her throat. The two on the floor stood up and looked at Serra. "Well, he seems to have woken up…"

"Wh-What?!" Florina exclaimed, the happy sparkle returning to her eyes. Beside her, Rebecca's face also brightened considerably. Priscilla nodded, a smile on her serene face.

"Yes, before the… outburst, we saw him open his eyes. We're not sure if he's awake right now, but he should be making a speedy recovery. For now, you can go in and see if he's well. But you cannot stay for long, he still is resting and we're not entirely sure if he's without… other injuries." Said Priscilla, the valkyrie purposely left out the fact that Wil was supposed to be dead. There were things that were better left unsaid.

"Let's go on in." Serra added, walking in to the small room, followed by the others. Once inside, they saw that Wil was still laying on his back on the bed. The four of them walked slowly next to the bed, the healers in the lead.

"Is he awake?" Asked Rebecca, her voice a whisper. Priscilla placed a hand on Wil's forehead, and the sniper's eyes immediately shot open. The four of them let out a small gasp and Priscilla withdrew her hand. Florina immediately rushed to his side.

"Wil!" She cried, a mixture of joy and worry. The brown-haired young man blinked at the ceiling, his brows furrowed in confusion. "Wil?" She asked again, now confused herself.

"… Wh… Where am I?"

Okay…. I'm finished with this chapter…

Guy: It sucked… just like you…

Matthew: That's mean.

FireEdge: -Fwaps Guy- I have _no_ clue if this is long enough for all of you, or emotional enough… But… yeah… Tell me if I'm not doing a good enough job, and I'll try and revise this chapter or something. I still don't like how I depicted Florina, but I had that scene in my head for such a long time. I just couldn't get it typed out right… Any comments for improvement on that would be appreciated.

Matthew: In the mean time, review and help out the stup-er, stumped, person!

FireEdge: … -Twitch-

--FireEdge--


	21. Chapter 21

((Re-edited since first upload.))

I'm here… updating… Does this count as fast? I, once again, lost track of time.

Matthew: You seem to do that a lot…

Guy: A lot is an understatement.

FireEdge: It's not my fault… much…

Reviews:

TheOneAndOnlyT: Uh, uh, uh… -Runs away, then comes back- Yeah, see, I was wondering if I actually had her in character when I wrote her outburst, but it seemed appropriate. And as for Prissy's vision… Well, you'll have to wait and find out. :) And thank you for the compliment! I'm glad that you think this chapter was better, since I worked hard on it!

Kitten Kisses: Hey! Thanks for reviewing this story too!

Baka KitsuneBri: You'll just have to wait and find out this chapter, with what's up with Wil. Yeah, Hector was trying to be nice, but he is a little dense… Or I just made him that way… As for the tactician hanging out with Guy and Matthew. Well, they're currently her best friends, so naturally she hangs out with them. And I don't really want to mention every single unit in the army…

InItIaL D ROCKS: Yeah, I know. That's why Lyn's having a talk with him. Hopefully he'll stay away now. Thanks for reviewing!

Lord X: Yes, I'm pretty evil… But, I its fun that way. :) Wait, I didn't give Florina her promotion item? I couldn't swore I did… I don't know if it was you or a plothole, but… yeah…

montblancerk: Thank you! I'm glad you find it perfect! Hopefully, this chapter will be just as good.

Ragnarok-legend: Thanks for the compliments! And no, I don't hate Hector, he's an awesome unit, and a hell lot better than Pansywood… I just needed him to look bad, you know what I mean?

The Blazing Blade: Oh, it's okay, I didn't mind that much. And… well, Wil hasn't necessarily forgotten whom he loves… But you go read and find out what's going on.

Hamano Ayumi: It's okay, at least you reviewed:) And yes, I didn't want to do that to Wil either, but it's more dramatic that way. Hehe, drama…

Duelist of Middle Earth: Wow… I'm scared…

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Stray Arrow

Chapter 21

"Wil!" Florina cried, running to his side, nearly collapsing onto the floor at the relief of seeing him awake. Her light blue eyes were bright with tears. Behind her, Rebecca knelt down, a sigh of relief escaping her lips.

On the small bunk, Wil turned his head to look at the two kneeling girls. The sniper propped himself up on an elbow. His brown eyes surveyed the room, and everyone in it. Finally his gaze settled on Florina's face.

His head tilted to one side, a lock of messy hair falling in front of his eyes. The young girl beside him reached up and brushed the strand from his face, her lower lip quivering. The tears that tracked down her face, though, were ones of joy.

"Are you okay?" She asked in a quavering voice. The young man blinked a few times before answering.

"… I'm fine…" Wil answered hesitantly. His eyes narrowed in confusion. _I know her… but what's her name…? They all look familiar, but I can't seem to… re…member them…_ He thought in his mind, his eyes brushing the others in his gaze.

Rebecca immediately jumped up, not noticing the strange look on Wil's face, she was so overjoyed. The sniper's face had a large grin on it.

"I'll go get you something to eat, Wil! You must be hungry after going through all of that!" The green-haired girl immediately skipped out of the room, going at a dash to the kitchens.

Wil's eyes followed her out of the door. _What's _her_ name? Why can't I remember?_ As he contemplated all this in his head, Florina pulled up a chair and sat on it, examining Wil. She didn't mind that he wasn't talking, really. As long as he was okay, she supposed that he must still be recollecting his thoughts. After all, that was quite a trauma that he had gone through.

Standing behind the falcoknight, Priscilla turned to the bishop beside her. The young valkyrie had noticed the funny look Wil had. And so had Serra by the look she returned to her. Walking back a ways, the two started to converse, though in whispers, so that Florina wouldn't hear. They didn't want to panic her in any way. Not after what happened before.

"Wil… He looks fine. Really healthy, actually. But something's wrong…" Murmured Priscilla. "Maybe you were right before… About something not healing in his… mind…" The other healer shrugged, rubbing her bare arms uncomfortably.

"I don't know… He _does_ look okay. But we never know what's going on in his head… He looks confused you know. I'd expect him to be all smiles and hugging Florina by now. But he's just been staring into space… You don't suppose that his brain was damaged when he was unconscious, do you? Remember, he was pretty much dead for a little while. Half a minute of no air could do something to your head."

"I certainly hope not…" Replied Priscilla, also hugging herself. Suddenly, the room felt chillier than before… And she couldn't help but recall what she had seen through that pendant… Wil, drifting in a neverending sea… Perhaps that was what was happening right now? Maybe the sniper had lost his way? But how? And why?

"Wil… Are you feeling okay? You don't look so well? Are you hungry? I'm sure Rebecca will be here anytime with your food." Said Florina, finally noticing the look on his face. The sniper turned to face her again, at the sound of her words.

"… I feel fine, but… There's something I should tell you…" He said slowly. _The best way to resolve this is to tell her that I can't remember who she is…_

"What is it, Wil?" She asked. The girl sat up straight in her seat. For some reason, a chill shot up her spine, why did it feel like what he was going to say next wasn't going to be good?

The healers, likewise, straightened. Their eyes rested meaningfully on Wil. It was the moment of truth, finally they would find out what was wrong with him… Or they hoped they would.

Wil took in a deep breath. "I-I can't… I can't…" He started, stammering. Biting his lip, he commenced again. "I can't remember who you all are…"

The next few moments dragged on in a horrific silence. For a long while, everyone stared at Wil, eyes wide with an unreadable expression. Though Wil's face was twisted with confusion and pain. Finally, the spell snapped with Florina speaking up.

"Wh-What d-do you m-mean?" She stammered, quivering, tears streaming down her face again. Priscilla closed her eyes, tears also gently falling down her face. Serra turned away, not being able to stand the sight before her.

Florina knew what Wil said was no lie. But she denied it; she didn't want it to be true. How she wished it was all a cruel joke. But her head told her otherwise. Why was this happening?

"… I don't know… I feel like I _know_ whom you all are, but I just can't _remember_ who you are… Do you know what I mean?" He asked a little meekly. But obviously, she didn't. For Florina then stood up abruptly, knocking her chair over in the process. The young girl then ran out of the room, a sob escaping her lips before she was gone.

Through the halls, she ran, passing by Rebecca, who had a bowl of soup and a bread bun in her hands. The sniper nearly dropped the food when the other girl zoomed past her. Rebecca's brows furrowed in worry and she quickly walked to Wil's room.

"What happened to Florina? She just ran past me, it was like the devil himself was chasing her…" Said Rebecca, setting the plate down on the table by the window. The sniper then turned to face the others, hands on her hips.

"Well…"

* * *

Florina didn't know how long she had been running, or where she was heading too. She just had to get away from it all. When she had though that everything was going to be back to normal again, this came up. Why were all these bad things always happening to her? 

The falcoknight sped past multitude of people, her boots clicking on the tiled floor. Many of the troops had their arms full of equipment. Old and new alike. It seemed that they were stocking up on supplies. No doubt because they were headed for what may be their last battle.

Of course, the girl didn't care about what was going on around her right now. She wanted to be alone, and nothing was going to change her mind. As she continued running, a thought formed in her head, and she headed for the stables. Her pegasus would be comforting right now.

The people she passed by paused and gazed after the frantic falcoknight as she went on her way. Why she was in such a hurry was beyond them. And they knew it was none of their business, so they continued on her way.

But Elfaiya, whom was talking to Lyn and some of their magic units, noticed something wrong with the other girl.

"Hey, Lyn… Isn't Florina supposed to be with Wil right now?" She asked turning to the lady. The Sacaean woman looked up from the supply list she was gazing at.

"Yes, she's with him right now, as is Priscilla, Serra and Rebecca. Why do you ask?" Replied Lyn.

"Well, she just ran past us a few seconds ago…" Said the blue-haired girl, jutting her thumb in the direction that Florina had took off in.

"That's strange… I'd think that she wouldn't leave Wil's side… It better not be Hector again…" Lyn sighed, rubbing her temples. But Elfaiya shook her head.

"After that 'lecture' you gave him, he hasn't gone near Wil and Raven's room. He's with Eliwood right now…"

"… Something must be wrong then… I should go check on her…" Lyn murmured under her breath. "Elfaiya, you continue with the supplies, I'll be back as soon as I can." The woman then ran off in the direction that Florina was fleeing in, leaving the tactician gaping after her.

"… But you have the list I just wrote out…"

* * *

Florina was now settled deep in Huey's stall in the Ostian stables. She sat curled up in the corner, seated in a large bail of hay, her head buried in her arms. The stall was reletively large, since it had to fit the pegasus along with the added size of its wings, even though they were folded. 

The winged horse nudged its mistress' hair, nibbling at the lavender locks. But Florina never looked up. She cried, not for the first time today, letting the tears fall down and stain her dress. Sobs racked her small frame as images of what happened ran through her head.

She didn't know what to do… What if Wil didn't regain his memory ever again? True, he was still Wil… But all the happy moments that they had spent together, all lost. And no one can truly be the same again, if they forgot what had influenced them in the past. He could never be the same person again… Would she still love him?

The falcoknight didn't want to think about that, especially the latter. But she couldn't drive it from her head. Instead, she screwed her eyes shut. And sent a silent prayer up to the heavens.

_Oh Saint Elimine… Please let Wil remember his past. Not just for me, but… for everyone that loves him. _She didn't think it would work, but it was the best she could think of. Suddenly a thought struck her. A spur of the moment idea that just surfaced off the top of her head. Barigan. Maybe praying to him would be more appropriate. She wasn't sure why, but… anything was worth a shot.

_Barigan, grand knight of Ilia… Help Wil regain his lost memories…_ Florina thought, hoping with all her heart that the great paladin that she had grown up hearing stories of would hear her prayer.

And luckily for her, an angel stood by her shoulders.

* * *

Lyn had to ask many people before finally hearing from Legault where to find her friend. The woman strode briskly through the stable, looking this way and that for the falcoknight. 

She soon approached Huey's stall, and could hear the sounds of sobbing and the mumbling of her soft choked voice. The Sacaean's expression softened and she gently opened the stall door.

Peeking her head in, she saw Florina curled up in a small defenceless ball in the corner, her pegasus' nose nuzzling her.

"Oh, Florina… What's the matter?" Lyn walked over and knelt down beside her. Lyn wrapped her friend in a tight embrace, murmuring comforting phrases.

The other girl took comfort in Lyn's mutters, whether she could make them out or not. She knew that Lyn knew somewhat of how she felt. Of losing someone she loved. Though all Lyn knew was that Wil was recuperated. She didn't know that his memory was gone…

"I-I'm s-sorry, Lyn…" Florina finally stammered quietly between sobs.

"Why are you saying sorry for?" The other woman asked, looking reproachably at the younger girl, also with confusion. Hadn't they gone over this already? It wasn't her fault that Wil was hurt. After all, he was getting better…

"I'm being a burden aren't I? I caused what happened to Wil, and now you could be short an archer, and after seeing me break down like this, I must seem like the weakest person on Elibe!" She replied with strong emotion. If only she used that in more positive situations.

"Don't be silly!" Cried Lyn, shaking her head vigorously. "You're never a burden! I appreciate your company dearly, and I don't know what I'd do without you! And what happened to Wil was a freak accident! It was _never_ your fault! Wil is doing fine, anyway! He'll be better soon. I thought you were just overjoyed when you saw him recovred."

Florina only looked down at the hay-strewn floor. She knew what Lyn said was always true. Sacaeans never lied, and Lyn especially wouldn't. But she only sniffed and shook her head. Lyn may be telling the truth, but she didn't know everything yet.

"Come on, Florina. Let's not mope here all day. Why don't we get you something to eat? You haven't touched any food since yesterday…" Lyn suggested, starting to stand up, a hand still resting on Florina's shoulder.

Florina hesitated for a long moment, but finally noticed that she was hungry. But she didn't really want to leave. She didn't want to see the looks of the other people of the army. Whether looks of confusion or sympathy. She didn't want any of it. So she shook her head.

And she had to tell Lyn what was wrong. She couldn't let Lyn just sit there clueless of what was happening…

"Lyn… There's something else that happened to Wil… After you left…"

((As you can see, I left out some parts in this chapter. It's shorter now, but I think it portrays Lyn much more IC.))

I think that this chapter was of okay length… I wanted to continue, but I found it better to leave it at that.

Matthew: Just to let you all know, I can read minds.

Guy: … And that has to do with anything, how?

Matthew: I can read FireEdge's mind. She's thinking that she hates having a cold…

-Crickets chirping-

Guy: … That's wonderful…

Matthew: And that she has inspiration, so that she'll get the next chapter up faster. Even if she's busy these next two weeks.

FireEdge: You know, you're right on both things… amazingly… Wait, what are you doing with my journal!

Matthew: Crap, I've been found out!

Guy: And so concludes our chapter… Please review…

-FireEdge-


	22. Chapter 22

((Re-edited since first upload.))

I'm SO sorry that I didn't get this chapter up as fast as I told you I would. But my internet has been disconnected for a while, and I have some family things that are going on that is taking much more of my time then I'd want it too. I apologize deeply! Here's your update, anyway.

Guy: Excuses, excuses…

Matthew: Well, they're true, at least…

Reviews:

Hamano Ayumi: Hehehe, yeah, don't worry, he will. :)

TheOneAndOnlyT: Yeah, the ending was supposed to be cheesy, but clichéd lines are always funny. Hmmm, good point… Why didn't I think of that: Eh, guess my mind wasn't in the right place, I'll try and resolve that this chapter.

Baka KitsuneBri: Actually, I know quite a bit about the Scouring and its generals. It's probably because I participate in the RP community of "The Scouring". The title explains it all… And there's been a bunch of debates about it on the boards of GameFAQs. So those are the places I pull all my information from.

Ed, the Master Tactician: Thanks for, once again, reviewing!

Wyrmseeker: Yeah, I was informed of that by another reviewer, also. And I'll try and fix that up this chapter… Somehow.

Emarista the Torturer (x3): Wow, you seem angry… I'll leave you to let off some steam. Here's a Hector voodoo doll for you. Enjoy. :) Awww, you'd save Wil for Florina? That's so nice of you! And don't worry about not reviewing for a long time, I understand.

Ragnarok-legend: Wow, that's for the compliment, Ragnarok! And yeah, I'm sorry this chapter wasn't up as fast as it should have been, but I'll be waiting for your update too:) Hehe, yup, your cameo is on the way in just a few more chapters!

The Blazing Blade: Thanks for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Stray Arrow

Chapter 22

As Florina dashed off in a flurry of tears, Wil tried to stand up but was immediately shoved down, gently, by both Priscilla and Serra with Rebecca only a step behind.

"You aren't going anywhere, Wil. Despite the fact that you look fine, you need to rest. Florina needs some time on her own. You going after her, not even _understanding_ how she is feeling right now won't help. Off to bed." Serra scolded him. The other two young women nodded in agreement.

Wil grimaced. He may not remember Florina, but the urge to go see her was strong. Of course, there was no way he could get past the three of them. No doubt, they'd set up a guard by his door too…

"Fine…" He sighed and lay down on his bunk with a grunt. Letting out a deep breath, he slowly closed his eyes.

The others gave a sastified nod and the healers turned to Rebecca. "You'll have to watch him. We have to go see if we need to help any of the others."

"Of course." That was the last thing he heard before drifting off to sleep. He then drifted into a dream.

* * *

Wil's eyes fluttered open as a strange smell reached his nose. Looking up, instead of seeing the bottom of the other bunk above his, he saw a clear blue sky. Fluffy clouds flew across the air.

With a start, he suddenly realized that whatever he was laying on was moving. Sitting up, he let out a yell, feeling the platform beneath him jerk. He immediately grabbed the edge of the raft and steadied himself.

After regaining balance, he sighed. Taking his hands, wet from the water that they had met, from the side of the poor excuse of a boat. Settling back on his heels he finally had a chance to look around at his surroundings.

From the salty smell, he knew that he was drifting on an ocean. How he had got here was beyond him. Instead, he spoke out loud his thoughts.

"How do I get out of here?" Glancing around the raft, he frowned to find that there was none other than himself on the piece of wood. There wasn't even an oar.

Looking up, he glanced in every direction. But all his eyes met were solid blue. From the light coloured sky, to the wrinkled navy waves of the ocean. There was no land in sight.

The sniper noticed that there wasn't even any noise. Where were the cries of seagulls? The buzz of insects? The splashing sound of fish? It was utter silence.

"Great, now what do I do? Wait around and die, while I float on this piece of driftwood?" He snapped to the air. But as if answering his thoughts, in front of him, a fog-enshrouded island materialised.

"Well…" Soon his little platform reached the land, it's edge scraping against the sandy shore. Wil immediately jumped off the raft. But as soon as he landed on the ground, he swayed and fell over onto his knees.

Riding on the ever-moving waters of the oceans had made him light-headed and unbalanced. As he tried to regain his bearings, his head jerked up at the sound of boots crunching on sand.

Looking up, he saw a gauntleted hand in front of his face. Lifting his head higher, he saw that the hand belonged to a man. The man was not very tall, but from Wil's calculations was at least his height.

The man had a hard face with curves like that of a rock. He had dark blue hair that reached just below the nape of his neck. Eyes of the same colour were inset in his face above a sharp nose.

The older man was clad in armour similar to that he had seen Kent and Sain wear. Though it looked more authentic and a black cape fell from his shoulders.

Without a thought to whether this man was a friend or foe, Wil accepted the offered hand. And the other man pulled him up with seemingly no effort.

"Th-Thank you." Wil stammered, dusting his pants of the grains of sand that had accumulated there. Straightening, he realized that the man, indeed was just the exact height as he. Neither an inch taller, nor an inch shorter.

"May I ask what your name is?" Asked Wil finally. The other man smiled.

"That is not important…" His voice was deep and strong. It had the sound of a mighty general that was used to commanding troops. "I am here to… help you."

Wil's brows furrowed at what the other man said. "Help me? If you mean help me out of here, I'd gladly appreciate that." But the blue-haired man shook his head.

"I cannot help you out of here… For, this is a dream…" He answered, somewhat solemnly.

"A dream? But this place seems so real…" Wil murmured to himself. Shaking his head, he dismissed the subject and went on. "Okay, then what are you to help me with?"

"To regain your memories, of course… You lost them, did you not? You would like to reclaim them, wouldn't you?"

"O-Of course!" He replied. There was probably nothing more in the world that he wanted more then regaining his lost past. "But… how?"

"It's quite simple… Getting here had been the hard part, I suppose you could say…" The man answered with a faint grin. He suddenly seemed weary. "You couldn't have come here unless you were sent here… by someone who loved you dearly…"

"Someone who loves me dearly…" The sniper tasted that statement on his tongue. He had a feeling that that person was that lavender-haired girl from before. If only he could remember her name.

"It's very rare that someone could find their way here… But even without the prayer that was sent to me… You seem special in a way…" But the other man trailed off and instead turned around and started striding further into the island.

Wil followed without hesitation, and before he taken a few steps, a temple materialized in front of him. He paused to marvel at the structure. It seemed to be carved from pure silver, yet that didn't seem possible.

It was a rather small building,with an arched roof and twirling columns that held up the eaves of the building. The shadowed walls were carved with intricate drawings of rearing pegasi.

Stepping inside after the man, he found that the walls inside were decorated much in the same way. The innards appeared to be almost like a church, or a temple. Many benches lined the two sides of the building, leaving an aisle that could just fit three men walking abreast.

At the back was a large dais. There were many ivory-carved statues of pegasi, woman wielding lances and even one of the man in front of him, lined the back of it. Who was_ he anyway? _

Right in the middle of the platform, stood a spear rack of some sort. But the rack held but one long beautiful spear. Its shaft was glittering silver, with an ancient text engraved into its long handle. The spear point seemed to be made of ice. Yet not of ice. A long tassel of rich red ribbon of some sort was tied around the haft below the point.

"Where are we?" Wil finally managed to breathe out through his awe. The man's shoulders sagged somewhat, and a frown quirked at his mouth.

"Kneel down…" He simply replied. The sniper blinked once, plainly confused, but did as he was told. The blue-haired man strode forward and picked up the spear in a quick swipe, twirling it skillfully in his hand before driving the butt onto the floor with a loud 'thump'.

"… I don't know why you were sent to me, rather than Roland…" He whispered under his breath, obviously not expecting Wil to hear, but the young man did manage to pick it up. "But she did tell me too… I cannot refuse her…"

"What are you saying?" Wil asked, lifting his head, not able to resist his curiosity any longer. The man's brows furrowed in confusion and stared at Wil for a long spell before shaking his head.

"By what powers I still possess, and by the might of the Malte, aid this helpless soul…" The man closed his eyes, and before Wil could react in any way, the point of the spear thrust through his chest and stabbed his heart.

The sniper felt his breath caught in his throat as the spear penetrated his body, yet he felt no pain. And he suddenly knew who this man was… Ba-

* * *

Wil's eyes snapped wide open, as he shot up straight as a board. He was breathing heavily, sweat seeming to have accumulated in seconds, his hand clutching his chest. There wasn't a mark that he could feel through his tunic. 

"Wil! What's wrong!" Rebecca cried worriedly, leaning over in her chair to lay a gloved hand on his arm.

The sniper didn't answer immediately, his wide brown eyes scanning the room as he tried to control his rapid breathing. But… that dream… Who was that man? He couldn't seem to remember his name.

_Remember… I… I can remember…!_ He suddenly realized with a start of joy and surprise. He was Wil, of a small village in Pherae. The girl that sat next to him was Rebecca, his old childhood friend.

"Rebecca!" Wil cried, hugging the other sniper, who seemed really startled.

"Wil, what's the mat-"

"I can remember! I know who you are!" He cried, letting her go, delight filling his eyes. Rebecca's did the same once the news actually sank in.

"R-Really! That's wonderful, Wil!" She said joyously, jumping up. "You have to see Florina right away! I'm not sure where she is, but I'm sure you'll find her eventually!"

Wil just nodded, already losing track of what his friend was blabbing out, she was so ecstatic. But when she saw him just sitting there, her face became stern in an instant.

"What are you _waiting_ for! Go find her!" Wil jumped up with a slight squeak at the strictness of her tone and ran out the door. He felt light as a feather, whether he had been wounded before or not.

And a feeling in the back of his head told him exactly where to find the girl he was searching for.

* * *

Suddenly, Florina's speech was cut off by the sound of running footsteps, quickly approaching their stall. Lyn immediately jumped up, followed by Florina, though considerably slower. 

"Stay here, I'll go see who it is. It's most likely one of the stablemen." Lyn said with a smile and a squeeze of Florina's arm. Standing up, the young woman stepped outside of the stall to talk to whoever had come.

Florina sat back down and softened her breathing. Straining to listen to the exchange of words between Lyn and the voice of a man. But she could only hear murmuring through the sound of her pegasus frisking about in the stall.

Then, footsteps were heard again, deminishing with a few seconds. Someone had left. It _was _probably a stableman. Going to clean one of the stalls, Huey's even. But Lyn had said that something was going on, and that he could leave for the moment.

Finally, another set of footsteps approached the stall door, and she felt Lyn's shadow loom over her again, as she entered. Florina looked up, starting to ask what the stableman had said. But her question froze on her lips.

There, standing above her wasn't Lyn. Actually the figure was far from the Sacaean woman. Instead it was the form of a medium height man. With messy brownish hair covering his head, and soft playful roan eyes. A smile that showed just a hint of teeth sat below a narrow and sharp nose.

For a moment, Florina almost forgot what had happened only a short while ago. About what had happened to Wil, especially about his memories. All she saw was him, and his smile.

She had almost forgotten how it looked like; the past few days had been so grim. The girl realized that her heart was pounding in her chest, she felt fluttery all of a sudden. As if overcome with a sudden excitement. She nearly squinted at the bright sun that silhouetted his lithe frame.

Florina was aware of a sudden warmth that overcame her as Wil came closer, her mouth hung open just a fracture, as if to say something. But no words came out. She couldn't, and frankly didn't really want to do anything as she felt his arms wrap around her when he knelt down.

The feel of his arms around her weren't new, but felt like a worn pair of boots. Comfy and welcoming after a long day of wearing dress shoes for some formal social. She let out a small sigh as he pulled her closer, her cheek pressed up against the rough wool of his shirt. She could hear the soft beating of his heart.

A heart that she knew that he had given to her. And she knew that she wouldn't ever let it go. Not for any reason, not reluctantly anyway. But just as that thought came to her, the recollection of what had happened came back to her.

The warm feeling left her somewhat, though the actual feel of Wil's body never went away. _What is he doing here? He should be in bed… resting… He doesn't even remember you, why is he here? _The thoughts ran through her head as started to gently push herself away.

"Wil-" She started softly. Florina realized that her voice was already starting to crack up as she remembered what had happened. But before she could go on, Wil had already pulled her close again. This time he leaned down and pressed his lips softly against hers.

Once again a tingling feeling of happiness captured her. He held the kiss for a long moment, that when he let her go, he was panting lightly. The light in his eyes were bright, just like they were when he had first admitted his love for her.

"I remember, Florina. I remember _everything_!" He finally spoke, nearly yelling the words out in his joy. The falcoknight stared blankly for a moment, letting his words process through her mind as she shoved away the dullness that had stunned her moments ago.

But when it did, a mixture of emotions smothered her. Joy was the most evident. But also disbelief. She blinked, a puzzled look appeared on her face. Did she really hear him correctly? Did he just say that he _remembered_? That his memories had been reclaimed? That wasn't possible… It couldn't happen. Nature just wasn't made that way.

Suddenly tears sprouted to her eyes. This must be a dream… She must have fallen asleep when Lyn had briefly left the stables. It had been so warm and hazy, the stall. She tried to blink back tears, but they rolled down her cheeks.

"Florina! What's wrong!" Wil said, startled. This was far from the reaction he had expected of her. He thought she would be overjoyed, her arms flinging around his neck, laughing happily.

But the girl he loved sat there desolately, crying. For what reason, he had no clue. But he reached his arm towards her and paused. He could hear her sobbing words under her breath.

"This must be a dream… Memories can't be recovered like that… It's almost impossible… Why am I having such a horrible dream?" Her sobs were shuddering now as she cried harder.

Wil's hand stopped short of her arm, his eyebrows lowering in remorse. Was she in denial? He knew people who turned to this state in a time of grief, but when news of mirth was told… That was a different story.

The sniper was at a lost for words. What could he do? She wasn't even looking at her. But he let out a slow breath. _A dream? She thinks this is a dream… That this isn't really happening, that what she _wants_ to happen is only an illusion._

Wil pulled Florina into his arms once more. She didn't seem to acknowledge him. He was 'just a part of a dream, afterall'. He could feel her shaking in his arms.

He spoke softly, kissing her hair, stroking her arms and back. Hoping that tangible feelings would take her out of her state of shock. However, at the moment, nothing was happening.

((A much better ending than before, I hope… But also, like the last re-edited chapter, shorter. I think…))

Oh god, I hate my ending… It was so… bad…

Guy: You finally admit something!

Matthew: I think we're supposed to "cheer her up"…

Guy: Pfft. No chance of that.

FireEdge: Yeah, any comments on that last scene will be greatly appreciated! I'm not really good with that kind of stuff… Anyway, please review.

-FireEdge-


	23. Chapter 23

Whew… Sorry if this update took awhile. But my inspiration left me for a bit. Not to mention I spent the past two or three days thinking up on how to redo the past two chapters. Speaking of which, they have been greatly modified. So, even if you've already read the past two chapters. I recommend going over them again. For, if you don't you'll be confused as to what is going on in this chapter, and why I repeated some scenes.

Guy: Yeah, have fun. Not.

Matthew: Be nice. It's for their own good that they have to read it again.

FireEdge: You're making it sound like a death sentence…

Reviews:

Hamano Ayumi: Thank you for the review!

TheOneAndOnlyT: Thanks, I really liked how the dream turned out also, since I adore the history of the Scouring. :) Yeah, that's a really good piece of advice. I'll keep that in mind for the future, going to revise something rather than making up for it. And I also never think you too critical. I'm usually surprised if you don't find something to comment on! I always appreciate your compliments and criticisms, since you're one of the only ones who give me such in-depth reviews. I hope that you find my revisions up to your standards, though.

Ed, the Master Tactician: Of course you know who the guy who healed Wil was. If you didn't, I'd really think that something was wrong with you…

The Blazing Blade: Yeah, who does say that…?

Dal Argent: Thank you for reviewing!

rice8369: I'm terribly sorry that I haven't updated it! I mentioned it in the last chapter's author's note, but I said that I wanted to wrap up this story before I continued my ToS one. I apologize if I'm keeping you waiting, but please put up with me! This fic is going to end soon, so I ask you to keep patient! Thank you!

Macross-Green: Yeah, it wasn't that bad. But I fixed it up, so I think it's much better now. Thanks for the review.

Wyrmseeker: Yeah, I guess I overdid the Barigan part. But I love the history of the Scouring, so I couldn't help it really.

Emarista the Torturer: Yeah, Barigan is awesome. :) But I think you might cry again once you read what I did… I hope you don't cry too much though… Eep.

Sokuma: Thank you for your multiply reviews! And yeah, I guess Wil did recover his memory quite too easily. But I've been dragging this story along for a long enough period of time, and I want to wrap it up soon. But thanks for the tips!

jan2789: Thanks for reviewing! Hey, nice question. ;)

Ragnarok-legend: Mmmm, sugar is good. :) But yeah, what did happen to Florina's sisters? ;) And as for Hector, I think that after Lyn's "talk" he'll be staying _far_ away from her.

Baka KitsuneBri: Yeah, like I said so myself, the ending was strange. So I fixed it! And as for the RP community, it'd be really nice if you wanted to join. I have a link in my profile to it. It should be near the top of the page somewhere. You can go and read around a bit, see if you like it. If you decide to join, please do me a small favour. On the application form, there should be a slot that says something like: "Referred by". For that please type in the name: Elfaiya. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Stray Arrow

Chapter 23

Lyn sighed and continued her walk back from the stable. She hadn't expected to see Wil up and walking around already. But she hoped that he would make Florina feel better.

She wondered, however, why Florina had been so upset in the first place. Maybe she should have asked Wil before she left. Wasn't Florina going to say something to her? But then Wil came.

As she wandered down the hallway that she just entered through the door, she stopped short with a gasp.

"Oh! I'm sorry Serra, Priscilla. I wasn't watching where I was going." Lyn immediately apologized when she walked into the two healers.

"It's alright, milady." Nodded Priscilla with a smile. Recovering from their little run-in, Lyn opened her mouth.

"By the way, you two. Isn't Wil supposed to be resting? I just saw him at the stables…"

"… No, he should be in bed. Rebecca is watching him. Why did she let him out?" Serra pondered, her thin brows furrowing.

"Hmm, well if Rebecca let him go, there must have been a good enough reason." Added Lyn with a small shrug, also a bit confused herself. Priscilla looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Ah, Serra, shouldn't we tell Lady Lyndis about… Wil?" She whispered to the bishop next to her.

"Oh yeah! That's a good idea." Replied Serra. Turning to Lyn, she raised her voice. "Lady Lyndis, there's something we should tell you."

What followed was a brief explanation of what had happened. From Wil's healing, to when he revealed his… predicament. This time however, they added in what they had discussed in privacy. About how Wil had been… dead.

"… He was… dead?" Lyn breathed, her eyes large enough to bulge out of her head. She shook her head in dismay, staring at something far away, that wasn't there.

"How could he have been dead, but be alive now…?" Asked Lyn slowly, after recovering from her shock.

"We don't know… A miracle, perhaps. Or… some freak twist of nature." Replied Serra with a shrug of her slender shoulders. The red-haired valkyrie beside her nodded in agreement.

"That's the most explainable reason…. However, we're led to believe that that charm had something to do with it." Priscilla added.

"That charm…?" Lyn inquired, a hand cupping her chin in thought. "I've… heard about it before, from Elfaiya and Lucius. They told me about it back when I had been reunited with my grandfather… And that same one Athos spoke of?"

"Yes, that's the same charm. It seems that it's saved both Wil and Florina a number of times…" Nodded Serra. "And once again, it's saved Wil. Though it does seem to have some side-effects…"

"I see." Lyn replied solemnly. "But is it permanent? Is Wil going to regain his memory back? Or is he going to stay this way? And why is he out and about?"

"I'm afraid we can't answer that…" Said Priscilla. "I've never tried to cure someone of amnesia before… All that we can do is to try and remind Wil of his past as best we can. Hopefully, scraps of his memory could come back. Unless some other miracle happens."

"As for why Wil is out at the stables is still beyond me. We can go see him or Rebecca." Shrugged Serra. But Lyn shook her head.

"No, it's fine. I'm sure that there is a good reason for why Rebecca let Wil out. And I'd rather not bother Florina…"

"All right then."

* * *

That night passed by in a peaceful silence. The army would be moving out the next morning… Preparing to head to Valor for the final battle… Everyone slept soundly that night. 

Except for a few in their army. Eliwood was haunted by dreams of Ninian, about how he had struck her down with his own sword… Hector by images of his dead brother…

And in a small stall in the Ostian aviary stables, a young man was also lost in his own dreams. His back was leaning against the wall of the stall, his legs stretched in front of him. Florina sprawled atop his chest and some of his leg.

Though the sight might seem to be peaceful, what was in his head was far from peaceful…

* * *

It seemed that he was standing in a black… vortex. That was the only way to describe it. Where this place was exactly, he had not the faintest idea. It was harder to comprehend than the one that he had previously had.

The air felt heavy and damp, like a rainforest's air would be. But everywhere he looked there was only darkness, and a strange black fog roiling about his feet. What seemed to be dim stars surrounded him.

But this place seemed strange somehow. He felt as if a shard of a broken mirror. The pieces all placed back into the frame awkwardly and incorrectly. How he obtained this image, he didn't know.

Taking a step forward, Wil let out a loud gasp, he was falling. Plummeting so quickly that he couldn't catch his breath. The next instant he stood still again. It looked like the same place he was in before, but he knew that it wasn't.

His breathing was normal again, as if he had never fallen… Frowning, Wil took another tentative step forward. This time he didn't plummet, but a mighty force of invisible power hit him.

The sniper collapsed backwards, bracing to hit the ground. Of course, there wasn't really a ground and he didn't know what he hit. But he didn't slam into this strange flooring as he expected. He fell right through it, as if sinking in cool mud.

For one moment he was engulfed in some gelatine liquid, and he felt as if it covered the inside of his lungs. Painfully he tried to breathe, but it just caused his lungs to inflame more.

As he started to see spots of black in his vision, he was suddenly lying on his back. He could see the faint stars, and he could feel the strange mist crawl over his skin. Sitting up, he took in a gulp of air. He felt fine.

"What is this place? I know it's a dream… But it felt so real…" Wil mumured, slowly standing up now. He took another deep breath, and mentally prepared himself to take a step forward.

Moving his foot a step, he once again went through the strange procession. This time, he started spinning in a circle as if tied to a wheel and rolled down a hill. As he tumbled enough to make him empty his stomach, he stopped.

With a muffled grunt, he lifted his face up from the ground, and the site in front of him made his eyes widen, and he immediately jumped up.

There in front of him, Florina was standing, but she was shackled to what seemed to be the air. Chains bound her, her armour dented in some places, and her dress looking worn and torn in some spots.

"Florina!" He called. But she didn't seem to hear him. Forgetting about the rules of this place, he took a step forward. Just before he started to fall again, he saw that her eyes were half-open, clouded with tears.

Once again, he fell. And once again, he got up. And every time, he saw Florina. Bound, and hurt. But there was nothing he could do about it, whenever he tried to venture forward, to free her, he fell.

It pained him deeply to see her like that. Especially when he figured out that she could see him too. Could see him disappear when he came closer. He wasn't sure how he knew this. But each time he saw her, more tears were rolling down her face.

"FLORINA!" He screamed, falling once more, for the probably tenth time. As he landed, he didn't get up. What could he do? It was all the same, every single time.

It wouldn't make a difference if he stood up now. He would just see her, wounded, while he hopelessly tried to reach her. What was the point? After all, it was just a dream… just a dream. He had to wake up.

Wil tried to pinch himself with his hand. But it just sent a small painful irk through his arm. He was still there.

Suddenly, he heard the soft sobbing sounds of Florina crying. He sat up, but kept his eyes away from Florina's form. He couldn't bear to look at her, not being able to help her.

The sounds of her despair caused him to grind his teeth. He had to get away. Wil deliberately stood up and walked forward. He almost relished the feeling of suffocation as he fell away.

But moments later, he was back. And her sobs were louder to his ears. He kept on running, falling, landing. Yet the sound of her tears just became stronger.

"Why won't I wake up? Why won't I wake up?" He kept on asking himself as he once again landed on his knees. He winced as he heard Florina's sniffle. It sounded so loud in his ears that he would think her right beside him.

He buried his head into his hands. I will wake up. It's almost morning. And all of this will be over. It's just a dream. Just a dream…_ The young man thought to himself. _

"I need to get away… But how?" Wil wondered.

"Running away?" A familiar voice asked. Wil's eyes widened and he saw the man from before. He knew who he was now.

"Barigan…?"

"This is not a dream, fool boy…" Barigan answered instead. The man's eyes seemed harder and colder today. But that was the least on Wil's mind. Not a dream?

"What are you saying?" Asked Wil, desperately trying to drown out the sounds of Florina's crying.

"…" The legendary General said nothing, hesitating. Instead, the blue-haired man looked around the vast nothingness of the area. "This is… This is her mind…"

"What… What are you saying?" Wil now stood, staring eye to eye with the other man. "Her mind? That's impossible."

"I suppose you cannot fathom such things. The knowledge has been lost since the Scouring." Barigan's eyes shifted to rest on Florina. A look of pain flashed across his face, but the next instant it looked as apathetic as before.

"There are many different kinds of dreams. So many, that I cannot begin to name them. Only the wisest savants knew them and perhaps the dragons… But this one that you reside in… It is the most material of types of dreams."

"Most materiel? I don't understand." Said Wil. For that matter, he didn't understand why Barigan was even here in the first place, if this was Florina's mind.

"Whatever happens here will reflect on your real self in real life." The paladin blinked. "Mentally at least…Physically nothing should affect you."

"Why are you telling me this? What does that have anything to with this?" Wil demanded. His patience did _have its limits. And his riddles weren't helping. _

"You are here for a reason. What, that's up to you." Grinned Barigan. The smile sent a shudder down his spine. It seemed a little half-crazed. But the grin faded just as quickly as it had come.

"You should help her… Tell her what she needs_ to hear. You know just as well as I do what I'm talking about, don't give me that look." _

"I'd love to do that, to talk to her, as you say. But how_? Every time I try to take even a step forward, I fall and it seems like I return to the place I used to be standing!" Cried Wil. Barigan tilted his head to one side, regarding Wil curiously. _

"You didn't know what you were searching for. Whatever your heart truly wants will guide you there." Wil opened his mouth to say something, but only a strangled breath came out. Barigan was gone.

Wil clamped his jaws shut, and frowned. Your heart will guide you… It sounded like some line from a fairytale. But his brownish eyes rested on Florina. He knew now what he wanted. What he needed to do.

It almost disgusted him that he hadn't figured that out until that man told him. Then again, he wasn't just any man. One of the legendary heroes of the Scouring.

Breathing deeply, Wil focused on one thing. Florina. To see her in front of him. No, more. To hold her in his arms, to feel her.

Gulping, he looked uneasily at the ground in front of him. Then warily took a step forward, preparing himself for the fall that was sure to come. But his foot met solid ground, if it could be called that.

"I didn't fall… Hmm, he was_ right…" Wil shook his head and looked straight ahead at Florina. Her cries still rang in his ears. Taking another step, then another, the sniper began to speed up until he was running towards her. _

Finally he was merely a foot away from her. Her head was still hung over, tears dripping to the ground. The sight of her like that caused a stab a pain to his heart. As if someone had driven a hot knife into his gut.

"Florina… I'm here. It's me, Wil." He said, taking another step forward. "Florina?" The girl didn't answer, but it seemed that her sobs began to soften.

What should he say? He wondered. Tell her what she wants to hear…_ But what did she want to hear? Suddenly it hit him. Before they had fallen asleep, Florina thought that she was dreaming. Dreaming that he had regained his memories. _

"Florina. I know you thought that it was all a dream. That regaining my memories was all an illusion. But it's not. This_ is an illusion!" His voice became stronger with every word. Slowly gaining more and more confidence. _

"I'm me_ again! I can remember _everything_! I can remember the first time we met. You were just a shy girl, you were so afraid of me. Because I was an archer." A small smile quirked at his lips when he recalled that. She had thought him an enemy. But how she had entranced him even then. _

"I can remember when you gave me that charm… The one that saved me so many times before!" Barigan once again flashed before his eyes at he mention of the charm, but Wil dismissed it. That wasn't important right now.

"I can remember pain, too. The pain of you being afraid of me again, after you took that wound from Lundgren. Every time I looked at you, I saw that light in your eyes that told me that you were scared of me. Me!" Indeed he could remember.

Right now, that same pain gnawed at him. As if he had been starved for days. His stomach trying to consume something, but there was nothing there. Except, it was his heart that felt this ache.

"I even recall when I first met your older sister, Farina. How much she had scared_ me! She was so overprotective of you! She probably still is. I don't think she likes me much." As he added that last part, he finally focused himself more on Florina. _

His eyes widened a bit; it seemed that there were fewer chains draped over her body. Was it working? Was he freeing her? Well, he wasn't going to wait around and find out.

"Remember that time in the desert? When we first met Athos? And he told us about Barigan and the charm?" This time he didn't see Barigan. "Then when we went to look for the Shrine of Seals?

"We had to find the Fire Emblem for the queen. And how we had been hit by that blizzard? I was so afraid that I might have lost you… That's I'd never see you again…" He was barely conscious of the tears that were now falling from his eyes.

He had been so afraid. More frightened than anything that had ever scared him before. Especially when he had found her, collapsed on the snow, nearly white as death. Wil supposed that he was lucky, to know that she was even alive. And that she had _lived through that night… _

Once again looking, he saw that the chains were_ gone. Only shackles held her. Just two simple shackles. _

"What I remember most was the day I confessed my love for you." Wil smiled, the fuzzy feeling he had felt in the pit of his stomach and how warm he had been when she had returned his feelings. What'd he do to feel that way again.

"I love you, Florina. I would never_ lie to you. You know that. Whether in dream or reality. I'm telling you now, from the bottom of my heart. To wake up, and see the truth. I'm back, and I'm staying for good. There's nothing for you to worry about… Please, come back to me, Florina." _

His hand lay stroking her wet cheek. Suddenly, a small flash of light came and went. And Florina tumbled from her position. Wil immediately caught her in his arms.

"Oh, thank Elimine." He murmured, relieved. The young man held her close to him. He could feel the heat of her body pressed against his, and he could feel the beating of her heart.

Then he was aware of a wetness that stained his shirt. Her tears were still there, and he could feel the dampness of them as his wool tunic absorbed them. Suddenly he felt hazy…

* * *

Wil's eyes opened. He let out a gasp, then squinting as the sun shone through the stall door. Groaning a bit, he shifted, and could feel a part of his shirt sticking to his chest. 

Looking down, he saw Florina nestled on top of him. Her hair spread out about her head like an angel's halo. Tear tracks ran down her face. And he could just make out droplets of them clinging to her thick eyelashes.

A rueful smile crept onto his mouth. Sitting up, he held Florina in his arms. She was still sleeping soundly, though she seemed to nestle more into his chest.

He didn't need her to be awake to know that she finally was herself again. He knew that Florina accepted the truth, and that she knew that he was _himself_ again. Caressing her hair, he planted a soft kiss atop her head.

"Today's a new day. And new memories will be made…"

* * *

Ta-da! End of chapter! 

Guy: That was long…

Matthew: That's a _good _thing, doofus!

Guy: What. Ever.

FireEdge: Yes, and if you're wondering _why_ I have Barigan here, _again_. It's because there's something special about him. No, it's not because he was one of the 8 Generals. It's for a different reason that you will find out soon…

Guy: Yeah, that means that this story is over yet… Unfortunately.

Matthew: So, for now, please review!

Note: QuickEdit isn't my friend... So if large spaces appear, that's not my fault. I spent 20 minutes trying to correct them, and I sincerely hope that they are gone. If not... Well...

-FireEdge-


	24. Chapter 24

Alrighty… I'm back with another chapter.

Guy: Yes she is…

Matthew: And it's suprisingly not late!

Reviews:

Hamano Ayumi: Thank you!

Baka KitsuneBri: Yeah, I realized that that was a strange dream, but I tend to write those sorts of things a lot. Okay, well, I hope you join!

Wyrmseeker: Um… You _did_ read my revised chapters, right? If you didn't, that's probably why you're confused. In any case, I guess I do portray Lyn a bit OOC, but I didn't really have much choice in the matter. If I wanted to progress the story, that was my only course of action available. You jealous of my writing skills! Wow, I'm flattered, but I'm sure your own writing is just as good as mine, perhaps better!

Ed, the Master Tactician: Hahahaha, have fun wondering!

TheOneAndOnlyT:Hehe... Yeah, I have a habit of writing cheesy things, I got it from pleasing my teacher last year with cheesiness. He always bought it… Wow, thanks! I'm glad that found my revisions good! Oh, and those grammar errors were typos, I didn't mean to type them out that way… Oops. My story's on your favourites list! That makes me feel all good inside:) Thank you!

Emarista the Torturer: Wow, that's a loonnnggg word! Haha, yes they shall. Yes they shall.

Ragnarok-legend: Yeah, I have a tendency to make really cheesy lines. Haha… Oh yeah, Florina's sisters… I _knew_ I was forgetting something… Well, we'll find out what's up with them this chapter! Don't worry, you'll show up soon. Your cameo's been planned out ahead of time, already. You should be showing up in the next chapter, or that chapter after that!

The Blazing Blade: Yup, person number three who said I have the most incredibly cheesy ending EVAR! Thank you, thank you! Yeah, I'll try and refrain from covering the story with melted cheese this time.

Sokuma: Aww, I made you cry? That makes me feel special:) Hehe. But yeah, your suggestion there is actually a pretty good idea… Though I already have my ending planned out, I might be able to incorporate something like you suggested.

Fox Youkai Aara: Yeah, Fire Emblem's one of my favourite games too! Thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Stray Arrow

Chapter 24

A fierce roar erupted in the large room. The dragon lifted its head to the ceiling, fire arching above it. The soldiers stared in awe at the marvellous and ominous creature. A large clawed leg stomped down on the marble-tiled floor, sending a shock wave running through the ground.

Wil let out a gasp as he fell to his knees, the earth beneath him still trembling. His brown eyes were wide with shock and amazement. Such magnificence, yet they had to strike it down. How they were going to do that was beyond his comprehension. The dragon was so big…

Wil turned his head, Florina's pegasus hovered next to him, its strong wings flapping. The lavender-haired girl sat the steed with confidence, though her light blue eyes blinked quickly, also staring at the dragon. He saw that she was biting her lip, she was frightened.

"Florina." He spoke her name, unsteadily standing up, using the Rienfleche as a prop. The sniper placed his hand over hers, squeezing it tightly. The girl looked over at him, an mix of emotions clouded her eyes. He could make out a haze of tears.

"Don't cry… It's okay, everything will turn out fine." Wil smiled, hoping that it would make her feel better.

"Yes, b-but… I-It's so… powerful. Wh-What if… wh-what if we don't all m-make it?" She asked, swallowing, trying to keep her tears down, though her voice quavered. Wil pulled her head down gently towards him, and kissed her gently.

"We'll be fine. You have to believe that. Just focus on the battle, imagine what will happen if we win!" He replied, his face bare inches away from hers. "The world will finally be at peace. And this war will finally be over… Then… Then our new life can begin."

Florina looked into his eyes, a cheerful light, despite the situation, persisted. His optimism seemed to rub off on her a tad, bringing a weak smile to her lips. Though that wasn't the only reason. Another had happened just yesterday. When they stood outside the gates…

* * *

_Florina stood next to Wil, clutching his hand. His other arm draped over her shoulders, holding her tight. They watched silently as everyone gathered their supplies, preparing to enter the Dragon's Gate. It was time for the final battle._

_A grim veil hung over the whole encampment, as did a taunt tension that would snap with just a light tug. The two of them had already prepared their weapons, and an elixir_

_Suddenly, a voice cleared its throat from behind them. Wil removed his arm slowly and the two of them turned around. Florina's face immediately turned a deep shade of red. Butterflies starting fluttering so uncontrollably in her stomach that she thought she might sick up._

_She could see next to her that Wil's face had blanched and that his eyes were wide. His grip on his bow was knuckle white. For standing in front of them were two young women. Florina's sisters._

_Fiora held a small smile on her face, her turquoise eyes dancing with amusement and happiness. Her hands were folded casually in front of her belt. Florina shifted her eyes to Farina._

_The blue-haired woman's eyes were narrow and boring holes into Wil's head. Her arms were crossed underneath her breasts, her foot tapping delicately on the trodden ground. Florina could see Wil swallow unconsciously._

_Fiora was the first to speak, stepping forward, taking Florina into a tight embrace._

_"Oh, Florina…" She murmured into her ear. Florina's blush had lessened slightly, though her face was still pink._

_"F-Fiora…?" Florina stammered, confused as to her eldest sister's reaction. Fiora let Florina go and held on to her shoulders, looking into her little sister's eyes._

_"I'm so happy that you've finally found someone for yourself." This statement caused Florina to redden once again, and she could almost taste vomit when she noticed some of the other soldiers around them eyeing them._

_"See, I knew one day that you would overcome your fear of men!" Fiora continued. "And I'm glad that the man who caused you to conquer this fear is a man like Wil." She offered the sniper an approving smile._

_"I…I…I…" Florina started, but she didn't really know what to say. Farina, however spoke for her. Though she directed her voice to Wil._

_You are a very lucky little man." She growled, jabbing a finger into Wil's chest painfully. The prior mentioned grunted and stepped back involuntary. "We've decided that Florina really does adore you. And after some observation… we've found you… worthy of our little sister's heart…" It sounded as if that last sentence had been forced out, Farina's face scrunched up in disgust at what she had just said._

_The middle sister of the trio stepped back, her face still set with a frown. Her eyes still staring at Wil, though Wil now wore a smile. A small and meek one._

_"If you break her heart… I'll break your neck…" She grinned wolfishly. From the way she said that, he wouldn't sworn that she might be a female version of his roommate, Raven._

_"Y-Yes, ma'am!" Said Wil, standing up straight, an almost mocking grin replaced his other smile now. Though Farina only sniffed and looked at Florina instead, her face softening._

_Florina had been staring opened-mouthed the entire time that Farina had spoken. She couldn't believe it. Farina had approved of a man? That was after herself? It almost seemed too good to be true._

_"Don't worry, Florina. What Farina said isn't a dream." Fiora replied soothingly. "And she actually means it. We've seen that Wil is a good man, and that he will take good care of you."_

_"If he doesn't however…"_

_"Farina, that's enough."_

_"Hmph." Farina looked away with a roll of her eyes. Fiora then looked back down at Florina again._

_"We will miss you when you're gone. But we'll visit you wherever you may be. Unfortunately, we'll have to talk after. It's almost time to leave." Fiora said. "For now, we must fight. For everyone's sake… We will see you later on, little sister."_

_Fiora pecked her on the cheek and walked off with Farina. Leaving the Florina and Wil to stare after them. Wil looked thoughtful, and Florina was still absolutely stunned, still._

_After a spell, Wil turned to Florina, a broad grin on his face. He took two steps towards her and captured her in a big embrace. She gasped when he twirled her around in a circle. Florina grabbed on to his shirt, and held on even after he set her down._

_She felt a bit dizzy and leaned against his chest, hearing him pant. But she felt so happy. Unbelievably so, now that her sisters were okay with everything. Looking up, she also smiled. Wil was laughing now._

_"Looks like we can live happily after all. Without your sister nagging us." Wil chuckled. She knew that he was referring to Farina. "I love you, Florina." He said again, it seemed more special this time. She wasn't sure why._

_Florina gazed at his face, inspection it slightly. His eyes were more serious now, though he still wore a small smile. One that never seemed to fade from his features. She felt his body tense beneath her arms for a moment. Then he gazed down at her._

_"Well, there's one more thing left…" He reached into his pocket and out came a small golden band. It was plain and was embedded with a single tiny diamond._

_Florina gasped. Her eyes so wide she thought that they might fall from their sockets. For a wonderful moment, she didn't and couldn't breathe. Such a mixture of feelings overwhelmed her, she thought she might faint._

_Was she dreaming? Or was this actually real? Was the man that she loved so much with the bottom of her heart proposing to her?_

_"Will you marry me?" Wil asked, kneeling down. Everyone around them had gathered around in a small ring, watching the spectacle with big grins. Florina barely noticed the crowd around them._

_This was real! Wil was asking her to marry him! What was she supposed to say! She thought to herself dim-wittedly. Her heart was beating so fast, pounding against her ribs. Her head felt a bit airy and she felt so… light._

_But that small fluttering in her heart, that was burning right now, knew what she wanted and needed to do._

_"Yes!" She cried, flinging herself around his neck. Uttering that one word seemed to unleash a marvellous sensation upon her. The fluttering in her stomach just grew, but it wasn't of nervousness, but of excitement. Her smile was so large that she could feel a pain in her cheeks, which were stained with tears._

_Wil returned her embrace, and silently slid the ring onto her finger. Even if the small band of metal felt cold on her finger, infinite warmth flowed through her body._

_She couldn't recall any time of her life that made her feel as happy as this one did. But then again, her head felt kind of fuzzy anyway. She couldn't really perceive anything anymore. All that she could see was Wil, and her love for him._

_Around them, claps could be heard. Cheers were everywhere, despite the sombre mood that was to come. It was so loud that it seemed as if the whole army was there. Florina didn't even see her sisters and the lords pushing through the crowds, drawn by the noise._

_The two pegasus sisters stared wide eyed, and Lyn immediately began crying. But Florina still saw none of this, her face buried deep into Wil's chest._

_

* * *

_

Even now, Florina could feel that bubbly feeling inside her chest, especially when she looked down at her hand. But her smile then faded as she looked at the dragon again.

"Wil… be careful…" She finally said, looking back at Wil. He nodded silently, giving her hand another squeeze before the two of them started forward once more.

Though the couple's heart ached to be with each other, the battle caused it to be otherwise. Wil stood at a farther distance, his Rienfleche aiming at the dragon. He could feel a tingling sensation fun through him as he drew back the bowstring. His breath came out as the arrow left his hand.

The 'twang' of the bow resonated in his ears, as the arrow struck true into the dragon's thigh, missing its scaly armour by inches.

He quickly jumped back and ran as the dragon turned its great head towards him with a roar, fire bursting from its jaws. Wil winced as the flame just scorched his leg.

Grunting he dropped to one knee, lightly touching his wound. His boot was blackened with soot and had burned away in one part. Immediately Serra was by his side, a Recover staff in her hand. At once, the pain slowly began to fade when the cooling aura enveloped his leg.

"Be careful." She muttered, running off once more. Wil sighed and stood up once more. He turned around to observe what was happening again. He heard Erk's voice chanting a spell near him. Then followed a loud,

"Excalibur!" A cutting green wind lashed out at the dragon, covering it from head to foot with its giant vortex. As the dragon roared from the hits, Wil saw Guy jump in. The Sacaean's hand gripped around a long beautiful sword, his strokes so swift that he almost seemed a blur.

The Regal Blade sunk into the Dragon's hide almost effortlessly with its sharp point. The swordmaster then pulled it out, gracefully jumping back lithely, a grin on his face, though it was quickly replaced by pain, as he gripped his arm.

Wil readied another arrow, aiming again at the dragon, which was now beyond furious. The dragon looked at Erk and Guy both, deciding which to last out at, and decided on the sage.

But before it could let out its fiery breath, a lance pierced its left foreleg, the owner pulling the lance out immediately. Kent jumped back immediately; his horse's legs gathering under him, and prancing back with a great leap.

Wil took his chance and fired his arrow. It sank. this time into the skin at the dragon's neck. The dragon let out an ear-splitting cry and shook its head vigorously, trying to shake free the lodged arrow, but to no avail.

"Take this!" A voice boomed. Eliwood was there in an instance, his white mare snorting. Durandal glinted in the light of the torches, its grand blade soaked with blood. The next second the blade was deep in the dragon's lowered head.

Wil watched as Eliwood pulled back, his face grim and eyes closed. The dragon didn't scream, but let out a low rumbling noise from its chest. It sounded almost like a whimper.

The great beast fell to the floor, shaking the foundations. Its orange-yellow eyes glazed over, its jaw half opened. Wil licked his lips, which were dry and cracked. Such a wondrous creature…

He looked away, as did many others of the army, hands over their hearts with a quick prayer. As the dragon's body began to fade away, by what cause, no one knew. Perhaps it was because of the fact that it didn't belong here anymore. But the body was gone in minutes, nothing but blood stained the floor.

Wil collapsed onto the tiles, suddenly overcome with exhaustion, not caring about what was happening next. He just made out the lords and Elfaiya standing with the Archsage Athos and Nils, where the dragon had once stood.

He shut his eyes. It's… over… It's really finally over… Wil didn't open his eyes when he felt a warmth next to him.

Florina was cuddled onto his chest, her eyes also closed, though her eyes were flowing with tears. He didn't know why she was crying, and wasn't going to ask. Instead he just held her close. Nothing mattered but her, now that everything was over…

* * *

Everyone stepped off the ship onto the port of Badon. Everyone wore smiles on their faces, despite some of their injuries. A wind blew in front the sea, ruffling hair and clothes alike as it washed over them. It made them feel lighter, as if it cleaned away the events from the Dragon's Gate. 

Though everyone was milling around happily, as if the moment would never end, they all knew that it was the end. The battle was done with, it was time to return to the new life they would now start. The one they had helped maintain.

The streets were so crowded and bustling that Wil and Florina had a hard time working their way through it. From time to time, someone would wave a good-bye to them, or more often someone clapped Wil on the back, laughing about his engagement to Florina, while she received many hugs.

Finally they spotted the lords up ahead. The couple, hand in hand, squeezed their way through. The lords were surrounding by a small clearing, everyone was politely making their way around the three.

Though they were not alone. Beside Eliwood, stood Ninian, his arm around her shoulders as she looked up at him adoringly. Lyn was chatting away with Eliwood, Kent standing behind her loyally. Hector was speaking to neither of them, but was yelling at Matthew about who knew what.

Their tactician was also with them, laughing as Matthew cringed under Hector's voice. Guy stood behind both her and Matthew, a grin on his face, one arm in a sling. The young Sacaean was the first spot them.

"Hey, look who's here!" Guy announced. All heads immediately turned to face them. Wil and Florina blushed slightly at the attention. But no one seemed to mind, everyone was too happy and smiles were everywhere.

Lyn immediately ran up and embraced Florina, laughing. Florina was giggling too, returning her best friend's hug.

"I can't believe Wil proposed to you!" Lyn exclaimed, admiring Florina's ring. The other girl was bright red. "But I knew he would, all men eventually see through their wool-headedness and do the right thing." The men gaped incredulously at what Lyn had just said; the only thing that could be heard over the crowd around them was Elfaiya's hysterical laughter.

Florina only smiled widely. She also received a squeeze from Elfaiya, after she had gotten over her little fit. Meanwhile, Wil was being congratulated by Kent. Matthew and Guy also said a congratulation. Then Hector was standing in front of him. Wil immediately tensed, unsure of how to react.

Hector also stared for a long moment, but then smiled and held out his hand.

"Congratulations, Wil. You're a very lucky man. I wish you well in the future." Wil beamed and grasped Hector's hand.

"Thank you… I wish you well, also." The next moment, Florina's sisters once again made their entrance.

"Florina!" Fiora called, she was beaming from ear to ear, taking Florina's hands into her own. "I can't believe what happened! I'm so happy for you!"

"So who's paying for the wedding!" Cried Farina. She didn't seem to want to glare at Wil, which was a good thing. But then again, she was always ecstatic when a matter involved money. Everyone laughed at Farina's question, she did too. But then said again,

"I'm serious. _Who is paying_ for the wedding?"

* * *

"I wish that you could come back with us to Caelin, Florina." Lyn said downhearted. Though a smile still tainted her lips. 

"I-I'm sorry, Lyn. But we have to do something…" Replied the lavender-haired girl. No one but Wil and herself truly knew what they were going to do. But they were headed towards Ilia, then to Pherae.

"Yes, Lyn, we have some urgent business in Ilia, not to mention we're going to have to see Florina's parents. Then we're going back to Pherae. But, we'll come and visit you." Wil added cheerily.

"It would hardly be appropriate if we don't take Wil to meet our mother and father." Fiora agreed. Next to her, Farina nodded, though she wore a somewhat wicked smile.

"Don't worry, we'll make sure Wil doesn't freeze up there."

"I'm going along too, Lyn." Elfaiya spoke up, from next to the Sacaean woman. "I'm going to see a friend up in Ilia, and I'll really make sure Wil doesn't 'accidentally' end up at the bottom of a snow covered ditch."

Lyn smiled. "All right then. But I'll miss you too, Elfaiya. I hope that one day I'll see you also. Take care of yourself."

"I'm taking Guy along with me, I'll be fine!" She waved her hand dismissively. "He wanted to go for some 'extreme training'. Why not the mountains of Ilia?" Elfaiya added with a shrug.

Lyn cocked an eyebrow at that last comment, but just shook her head and laughed.

"I guess it's time for you all to set out, now?" The dark green-haired woman asked, looking at all of them in turn.

"Yes. We'll be gathering our things now, and we're leaving immediately." Nodded Fiora.

"I'll miss you all greatly. Have a safe journey."

Ooookkkaaayyy, that's the end of that chapter…

Guy: I'm going to ILIA! I'm gonna freeze!

Matthew: Haha!

FireEdge: Anyway, I'm not particularly proud of the flashback with the proposal, I might have to re-do again. But I can't think of anything right now. So any comments on that part particularly would be appreciated.

Guy: Tell them it's the END! PLEASE!

Matthew: Now why would she say that, if it isn't? There's still the last chapter coming up… and the epilogue.

FireEdge: Yup, that's right. Two more chapter and this story is finally ending! Please review!

FireEdge-


	25. Chapter 25

WOW! It's the last chapter!

Guy: FINALLY!

Matthew: Don't celebrate yet, my friend. There's still the epilogue.

Guy: NOOOOOOOOO!

Reviews:

montblancerk: Yeah, everyone loves them. :)

Destiny'sPromise: Well, Matthew is in trouble with Hector, and he has to go back to Ostia. He has a job. Doesn't that suck?

TheOneAndOnlyT: Yeah, I guess that now after the final battle, it's beginning to slow down. But I'll try and keep it as good and exciting as possible. Thanks for the compliments!

Fox Yukai Aara: Wow, thank you!

The Blazing Blade: Me, cruel? Pfft, you've got to be kidding! Yeah, I wonder how this is going to turn out? Hmmm…

Ragnarok-legend: Yeah, you _have_ been here since the beginning! But after this fic ends, I still have others to write! I hope you'll be there with me then too! Oh yeah, this should lift your spirits! It's the chapter with your cameo!

Hamano Ayumi: You mean _Farina_ right? Haha, Fiora threatening someone would be funny though.

Quizer: Thank you! I love people who are so straight-forward. Haha.

Aeros Fujita: Uh… that's a joke right? Thanks for reviewing, though.

Momija-chan Wa Baka: I'm so glad that I managed to change your mind! Thanks for the review!

Ed, the Master Tactician: Don't worry. I'll have other fics up. Thanks for sticking with me through the whole fic, though!

Sokuma: Thank you for the encouragement! And good luck on your own stories!

Emarista the Torturer: Awww, I'm sure Farina wouldn't mind you paying for the wedding!

rice8369: I'm SO sorry that I made you sad :( But, yeah. After I finish this story, which should be in another week or two, I'll start updating _Midnight Visit_ again. Just wait a little bit more!

Wyrmseeker: Yeah, I suppose it is really hard to make the after final battle scene completely exciting, but I'm glad you found it expectable! And yeah, after this fic ends, I'll be finishing up my other fic that I had postponed. Then after that's finished I'll be writing another multi-chaptered FE fic.

FireEdge: Wow, so many people have told me that my flashback proposal thing was good. :) So I won't need to revise it. Thank you all who told me so, it makes me feel all happy inside. :P

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem

Stray Arrow

Chapter 25

The journey to Ilia was far from easy. While the small group was free from Black Fang assasins, they were still plagued with constant bandit attacks, especially as they started to near the Ilian border. For Ilia wasn't a rich country.

And the weather wasn't exactly pleasant neither. As they slowly journeyed across the Ilian mountains that bordered the prior mentioned country and Sacae, they could already feel a chilling north wind blowing against them.

Nights were more than frosty as they began to see snow in the ice-capped mountains, and the winds carried with them snowflakes and sometimes chips of hail. By then, everyone had bought and donned thick cloaks.

It was at least their seventh night in Ilia that they finally saw traces of civilization. It wasn't that Wil didn't trust the three pegasus sisters to not know where their home town was, but it was still much more reassuring when they finally spotted some small houses in the distance.

"Look, a town." Said Guy, breaking the silence, his finger pointing at the houses. Everyone had a smile on their weary faces, all happy that they could perhaps finally rest in a warm building.

"Do you recognize which town it is?" Wil asked, looking up at Florina. She studied it, but shook her head. Fiora took a glance also, and after a moment, answered instead.

"I think that it is our hometown. I can't tell yet though, there are many small villages grouped together in this region."

"Well, let's head down there and find out." Farina added, flying up. "Either way, we'll be able to get a room in an inn. I'll get us a cheap price."

"Is money all you ever think about?" Elfaiya asked with a grin. The falcoknight ruffled the tactician's hair in good nature and smirked in return. They then headed down at a quick pace, hoping to reach the village in time for dusk.

After almost half an hour, they were within feet of the town, candlelight shining dimly through frosted windows. Darkness had already started to fall; night came fast deep in Ilia.

"I think that this is home." Florina said quietly to her sisters, a smile on her face. The sisters returned the grin to their sibling and they all three led the way towards a very specific house.

It was not very large, but it wasn't exactly small either. Sturdy stone was its walls with thick slate tiles for the roof. A brick chimney coughed smoke into the air as the party approached the house's door.

Fiora knocked on it lightly three times, then stood back and waited. In a few moments, they heard light footsteps coming towards the door. It then clicked open, and they were greeted with a warm light.

A woman stood in the doorway. She seemed to be in her forties and she had bright blue eyes and a tumble of blue wavy hair. She was wearing a sturdy lavender dress with an apron, it looked as if she had been cooking.

"Fiora!" The woman cried, immediately embracing the falcoknight. Fiora smiled.

"Hello, mother. It's good to see you well." She said, returning the embrace. The woman let her go and looked behind her, noticing more people. There she saw her other two daughters.

"Oh my! Farina! Florina! My dears, you're all here!" Their mother cried, holding them tightly, though Farina did struggle.

"It's so nice to see you, Mother." Florina sniffed, tears starting to come to her eyes already.

"Don't cry, you silly girl." She murmured, wiping her tears with a hand.

"Yes, we've all returned safe and sound! Though I'll have to head out soon." Farina added, her head held high and proud.

"I will have to leave soon, also… I have to report the… deaths of my comrades to the base…" Replied Fiora sullenly.

"That's all very well, girls. But you're not heading out right away. You're frozen and look as if you're starved!" Their mother scolded. Looking at the other three standing behind her daughers, she spoke again. "Now who did you three drag back with you?"

Florina immediately blushed, suddenly _very_ self-conscious of the ring on her very exposed finger. She tucked her hand behind her and tried to look confident, but it didn't work very well.

"These are some friends of ours that we've met during our… journey… Which is quite a long story, but I'm sure we have time to tell you later on tonight." Fiora answered with a slight grin directed at Florina, which caused her younger sister to flush even more.

"I am Elfaiya, ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you." Elfaiya stepped up, sweeping her cloak back in a formal bow. Beside her, Guy attempted, and failed, to imitate her.

"Er, I am Guy of the Kutolah…"

"My, such manners for ones so young." Though she cocked her brow amusingly at Guy's attempt to bow. The young Sacaean turned a bit pink but immediately looked away. She then turned to face Wil.

"And who might you be, young man?" She asked. Wil gulped unconsciously. Somehow, he thought that perhaps Farina might have inherited her personality from this woman. Their mother had seemed timid at first, but right now she seemed very hard to him.

"M-My name is Wil. I am an archer of Caelin…" He finally managed to stammer out. Everything was silent for a moment. But footsteps from inside the house broke the awkward spell.

"What's going on out here? Why are you standing out here, my dear?" The deep voice of a man asked. Looking up, Wil saw a tall Ilian man standing in the doorway. He had orchid locks, which were starting to grey at the temples, which hung to his earlobes and soft aqua eyes. It was without doubt that this was Florina's father.

"Daddy!" Florina cried out happily, jumping up and embracing her father. The man grunted as he held his daughter, a smile on his face which held fine wrinkles.

"Florina! I'm happy to see you back safe and sound! I was so worried that you had been injured when you headed out all by yourself." He caressed her hair and looked to see his other two daughters.

"Fiora, Farina. You are back from your missions? Will you be staying long?" Asked their father. The other two didn't mind that Florina got a little more attention from their father. He was very protective of his youngest daughter. But he knew that his two older children were brave and strong, and he was very proud of them for that. But they too received embraces from their father.

Barely acknoledging the other three members of their little group, he spoke again.

"What are we all standing out here for? Get inside, we can talk there."

"Yes, I'll cook us more potato soup." Their mother chirped, ushering everyone inside.

* * *

After everyone had settled down at the table, dressed in clean clothes, the pegasus sisters' mother ladled out a thick creamy soup with chunks of potatoes and other hardy vegetables that could be grown in Ilia's harsh weather. 

While they all hungrily ate the soup, they each took turns telling the story of what had happened during the past two years or so. The young women's parents were thoroughly surprised again and again as the story continued, until the point that they thought nothing could startle them again. That was until…

"Yes, but Mother. Father. There _is_ one more thing we must tell you." Fiora started, putting her spoon down, her face smooth. Elfaiya, Guy and Farina leaned forward slightly, anticipating grins on their faces. But Florina's face turned beet red and Wil's wasn't that far behind.

"My, this looks interesting." Their mother muttered, arms folding beneath her breasts as she regarded them all. Eyeing especially her youngest daughter and the brown-haired sniper.

"But I think that Florina is most suitable to tell you this."

"Eep!" Florina squeaked, looking frantically at her eldest sister. Getting approval from her sisters was all fine and dandy, but from her parents…? She felt like she was going to empty her stomach of the food that she had just indulged. Seeing her sister look straight ahead, Florina knew that she couldn't find an easy way out of this one.

"M-Mother… F-Father…" She started somewhat formally. "Th-There's something I h-have to tell y-you…"

"What is it, sweetheart?" Her father asked, hoping to sound soothing, almost completely oblivious to the fact that it looked like Florina was suffocating.

"Um… Ah… D-During my t-time w-with Lyn… I m-met Wil…" She stammered, looking down at her lap and at the glistening band of metal that her parents had yet to notice.

"You told us that, dear." Her mother replied.

"A-And… … …" Florina took in a deep shaky breath. "Wefellinloveandheproposedtome!" She let the words slew out in one sentence so quickly that no one could understand her at first. But then her parent's eyes widened and they looked at both her and Wil.

Florina tried to make herself as small as possible, and Wil was white as a sheet. Her sisters, Elfaiya and Guy excused themselves quietly and waited in the other room, though they left the door open a crack. Showing that they were obviously listening to them, while escaping the tension of the room. Florina wished that she could do that too.

After what seemed a decade, her father finally spoke up first. "Wil… that is your name, correct?"

"Y-Yes, sir…" Stammered Wil diffidently.

"You seem like a good person… Though I do not know you personally."

"Thank you, sir."

"But I have yet to see anyone worthy of my daughter…" He said slowly, watching Wil intently.

"No, sir… No one is worthy of your daughter." Replied the archer, gaining a bit of confidence, as he had not screwed up yet. The reply, however, seemed to surprise Florina's father a little, not a lot, but a little.

"Hmph, a smart response." Her father grinned. "But I certainly hope that you aren't always this timid. I wouldn't want that in a son in-law." Wil shot up at that last remark.

"No, of course not!" This just made her father smirk more and more. From beside him, his wife tapped the side of cheek in observation.

"However… If Fiora and Farina had the nerves to bring you back here… You must be a wonderful man, indeed. And most of all, if my shy little girl, whom was always afraid of men, is willing to accept your love for her. You are granted my daughter's hand."

From the other room, there were muffled gasps and a small giggle. But in the immediate room, everything was stunned silence. It was only broken by Florina suddenly leaping up and hugging her father, tears streaming down her pale cheeks.

"Daddy! Do you really mean that!" She asked, looking up at him, her blue eyes shining.

"Of course, sweetheart, you know I trust your decisions. And if it's okay with your mother." Florina then looked towards her mother, her face bright with happiness. Her mother just beamed back at her daughter, standing up and planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Looks like my little girl's all grown up. Strange that my youngest daughter is engaged, yet my elder ones can barely find a suitor." Her mother eyed the open door with a eye filled with amusement.

"Hey!" Came Farina's mockingly outraged voice. And there was followed by a burst of laughter, which was inevitably Elfaiya's. Somehow, they could almost see Fiora's face as pure red.

"Speechless, lad?" Florina's father spoke, looking across the table at Wil. The sniper grinned broadly and nodded. He was indeed speechless. He had not expected it to be straightforward and so… simple.

But he was glad, nonetheless. After all, he had finally received the approval of her parents. Which meant that they could wed in a year. A custom that was used in his small Pheraean village. For now, he was content with what he had achieved today, for there was something else he still had to do tomorrow, and who knew how that might turn out.

* * *

Last night they had stayed up late, some of the neighbours had even come over to see what was going on. They had congratulated both Wil and Florina very thoroughly when they had learned of the news. 

But they did eventually go to sleep eventually, thought it was perhaps only a few hours before dawn that they did. Wil woke the next day with a slight throbbing in between his eyes. It was already mid-afternoon.

Sliding off the mattress with a groan, he quickly dressed himself and walked out the door. Walking down the stairs, he saw that most of the household was already awake. The pegasus sisters' mother was cooking something that smelled delicious, and their father was reading the daily papers. Fiora and Elfaiya were quietly talking in the corner, bent over some board with a couple of black and white stones on it.

"Good morning. Or more like good afternoon, I suppose." Greeted Wil as he approached the dining table.

"Yes, good afternoon indeed." Florina's father replied. From the corner, Elfaiya lifted her head.

"Hey, Wil. Didn't you say you wanted to do something today? You said it was important?"

"Oh yes. There was something we had to get done today…" He said under his breath. Looking up he surveyed the room. "… Florina and I want to visit Barigan's grave."

"Barigan's grave?" The lavender-haired man looked up. "Why do you want to see that? I suppose it does make somewhat of a tourist attraction… I'm sure the girls know where it is, if you want to see it though."

"Yes, Barigan's grave isn't too far from here. It is perhaps an hour walk from the village boundaries." Fiora nodded in agreement. "It's already late in the day, but I think we could make it."

"I think that would be nice. I want to get this over with as soon as possible." Replied Wil, sitting down.

"If you insist, I'll go wake the others. We can head out right after we eat." Fiora said slowly, standing up and heading towards the stairs. As she went up without an answer from Wil, Elfaiya came and joined the two men at the table.

"By the way… Could I ask you a question?" She directed her voice at Florina's father.

"Yes, little miss?"

"I have a friend whom is staying here at the moment. He is around my age, give or take a year. His name is Haru?" She asked. The man thought for a moment.

"What is your friend doing here?"

"He came here to study the ruins in this area, left behind by the Scouring. He was always interested in ancient buildings, and he wanted to stay in Ilia for a bit. I promised I'd pay him a visit, and this seems the ideal time."

"A young man studying the ruins? … I do seem to recall hearing about someone like that. I think he might be residing in the inn a the village border." The man answered, stroking his chin.

"Thank you very much."

* * *

The girls' father was indeed right, and the group met up with Haru, Elfaiya's childhood friend. He was a friendly boy and offered to accompany them to Barigan's grave, which he had explored himself. 

"There it is." Haru pointed up ahead with a slender finger. Rising over the crest, they saw a giant dais with four enormous pillars raising from each corner. The pillars were adorned with twisting pegasi, the summits ending with a glistening horn.

The platform itself was very large, at least the size of four Ilian houses in a square pattern. There were smooth carved steps that they all climbed, the foreigners gaping in awe at the magnificent of the grave.

Reaching the top, there stood in the centre was a large protruding stone. Rectangular in shape and black ebony in colour, the gravestone was covered in golden gilt writing. The text itself was ancient, barely decipherable. But the writing was in an old tongue that had been lost in the past years.

"This is Barigan's grave. It was built centuries ago in honor of the General, and he was buried here after his tragic death." Spoke Fiora, running a hand over the smooth surface.

"How did he die?" Wil asked in a hushed voice, feeling as though if he spoke too loud, something would shatter.

"It's an old story, Barigan's death." Haru answered. "It was not long after the Scouring, and after the death of Barigan's lover. The man, having accomplished his duty in defeating the dragons, fell into a depression, mourning his lost love. He managed to hold on to life for several decades, no one really knows how. But one day he passed away. There were no marks that he had killed himself or that someone else had. And he had been in perfect health. But legend says that he died of a shattered heart."

"That's a pretty deep story. Far different from the tale of Hanon's death." Guy commented. Haru shrugged.

"That's what I read in a book once."

"Is that really what happened, though?" Asked Elfaiya, looking meaningfully at the pegasus sisters.

"Yes, that's an old tale that has been passed down for generations and generations. Everyone has heard the story many times as a child." Nodded Farina. Wil's hand went to his neck as everyone continued to chatter, Florina silently coming up beside him.

Taking out the silver star charm, he held the pendant in front of him. The late afternoon sun glinting off its ancient garnish. Walking forward, Wil placed the charm at the foot of the gravestone.

"May you finally find peace, Barigan." Wil murmured. He didn't know if the great paladin would know or not, but the charm belonged to him, and Wil knew that he wouldn't be in any danger any more.

Standing up, he took Florina's hand in his own and led her towards the others.

"We're ready to leave now, how about you guys?"

"Well, it is starting to get late again, and the walk back is long. So let's go." The others agreed. They then each walked down the stairs, talking quietly. When they were far from the dais, a bone chilling wind blew round it, like an invisible tornado.

A flash of light illuminated the platform and suddenly, beside the gravestone stood a man. Dressed in gleaming armor, dark blue hair falling about his proud head, and sea blue eyes glittering with found contentment. Embedded in the chest plate of his armor was a small shining silver star.

Ta-da! The end! This is how it finishes! Whether it was good enough is up to you guys though, since I typed this half-dead from doing homework for 5 hours straight beforehand...

Guy: -Sigh- But there's still the epilogue.

Matthew: Of course.

FireEdge: Yeah, that ending might seem a bit cliché though. But I wanted to end it that way.

Guy: Ya-huh…

FireEdge: Stay tuned for my (no doubt cheesy) epilogue!

Matthew: Until then, please review!

:FireEdge:


	26. Epilogue

DUN DUN DUN! It is time for the FINALE! That's right, give it up for the… EPILOGUE!

Guy: Ouch! Someone get that megaphone _away_ from her!

Matthew: One… two… three… TACKLE!

FireEdge: AHH!

Reviews:

Emarista the Torturer: It's okay, I'm sure that your death isn't really going to be that horrible… I hope…

The Blazing Blade: Thanks for the review!

Ragnarok-legend: You're very welcome for your cameo! And yeah, I'm happy that you'll be here for my other stories too!

TheOneAndOnlyT: Wow, I guess that that was lucky. Yeah, I can't seem to make anything exciting after the end. But thanks for the compliment! Yes, I'm starting to get cheesier my the chapter. :P Yes, I figured that someone had to have the lavender hair, and why not make a twist and have the MAN have purple hair?

Baka KitsuneBri: Thanks for the compliment and review!

Hamano Ayumi: Aww, don't feel stupid, you just read too fast. Thanks for reviewing!

Wyrmseeker: Hmm, you really think that line was underdone? Oh well… I'm glad you managed to dig up a comment from that chapter anyway.

Fox Yukai Aara: Thanks for the review!

Good Eye Sniper: Thank you for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Stray Arrow

Epilogue

A young girl stood in the middle of a forest. Her big round, light blue eyes were filled to the brim with tears. Curly brown locks of hair fell down to her shoulders. She held a small toy bow in her one hand, the other scrubbing at her face, trying to keep them dry.

"Daddy?" She whimpered out, looking around her. But her father was no where in sight. She sniffed again, wiping away more tears rolling down her cheeks.

"D-Daddy? Wh-Where are you?" Suddenly a crunching noise came from behind her. Turning around, eyes wide with fear, she saw a shadowed shape approaching her.

"Daddy!" Wailed the little girl, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Flora!" A deep voice erupted from the shape looming above her. The man kneeled down and picked up the little girl.

"Daddy…?" Flora whispered, looking up at the man. There staring down at her with a broad loving smile was a middle-height man. He had short brown hair and cheerful auburn eyes. A bow was slung over his back and a quiver hung at his side. A string of rabbits was gripped in his hand.

"Flora, sweetie. I told you to stick next to me." Wil said, hugging his five year-old daughter close to him, stroking her hair.

"I did… But there was a bunny, and it was hurt." The little girl sniffed, holding onto her father's wool shirt as he began to walk forward.

"Tsk, how can I take you hunting with me if you go running off after little rabbits?" He scolded half-heartedly. "Now, let's go home and give these to your mother. She's waiting for us. Remember, your aunts are visiting today."

"They are?" Flora asked, her sniffs starting to sub-side.

"Yes, it's the first day of the New Year, remember?" Wil said to his daughter, as they reached the border of the woods. There, up ahead, was a small village.

"Will they bring sweets with them?" She asked with a cute little smile that she had inherited from her mother.

"Yes, you silly girl, there will be plenty of candy for you! But promise that you won't eat them until after supper." He replied, approaching a small house surrounded by flower gardens. A small stable was out back, which housed Florina's pegasus. She hadn't been able to part with him.

"Florina! We're home!" Wil announced, shutting the door behind him with his booted foot. Florina peeked her head out of the kitchen, her cheek smudged with a bit of flour. Florina, like Wil, hadn't changed much really. Her hair was longer, and her face less baby-like. Her body had grown, though she still possessed a delicate frame.

"I'm glad you're back, Wil. My sisters, and Lyn are coming soon." She said a smile spreading on her face. Looking at her daughter, she picked her up out of her husband's arms.

"Flora, could you set up the table for me?" She asked. Her daughter smiled and nodded fervently and skipped to the kitchen to retrieve the silverware. Standing on her tiptoes, Florina kissed Wil lightly on the cheek before towing him into the kitchen to help her finish with the cooking.

* * *

Wil opened the door as a brisk knock came at the door. There stood three women, two Ilians and one Sacaean. 

"Hello, Wil, it's wonderful to see you!" Cried Lyn, giving him a hug. She had not changed much from before, though her eyes seemed to hold a weary light. And for the occasion she wore her long dark green hair in an intricate plait with an emerald green ribbon twined throughout it, hanging over one shoulder.

"It's great to see you too, Lyn!" He smiled in return, turning to the other two, he shook hands with the two of them. "We're glad you could come, Fiora. Farina."

"Of course, Wil. We don't get to see Florina much anymore, now that she's living in Pherae. So we must come at least every year." Replied Fiora with a serene smile. Fiora had cut her hair shorter now, hanging just above her shoulders.

"Anyway, how else am I going to spoil my only niece?" Farina piped in. Farina's hair was longer now, but still relatively short, it was the same length as Fiora's was. Her face was older and her eyes wiser. She was just as thrifty as before and just as quick-tempered.

"Hi, Auntie Farina!" Flora chirped, hugging her aunt's leg. Looking up at Lyn and Fiora, she greeted them too, with a big grin.

"Hello, sweetheart. Look what I brought you." Farina knelt down and gave Flora a small package, kissing her on the head.

"Thank you!" She immediately bounced to the kitchen to fetch her mother. Florina came out moments later.

"Fiora! Farina! Lyn!" She cried joyously, hugging each of them in turn. "It's been so long!" They then all sat down at the table, catching up. Laughter rang throughout the house as they told story after story of what had happened during the past few months.

They even recounted the stories of more than six years ago. Of when they had travelled with Eliwood and Hector. Some where very sad, yet some where happy. But they mostly talked of the present.

The afternoon then dwindled away as they feasted and light-headed from some wine they had been drinking. The bunch of friends soon found it to be night, and Flora was tucked unwillingly into bed.

Wil walked down the stairs, after putting his daughter to sleep. He resumed his seat at the table as Farina continued about a story of when she had been escorting a silk merchant. The story ended with them making it to Eturia, but all the supplies had been ruined. Apparently, the merchant had blamed his escorts.

They continued to talk for at least a few more hours. But soon stars were starting to show outside. And the three guests stood to leave.

"Be careful, heading back!" Florina cried, as her sisters flew off on their pegasi.

"We will! Take care, Florina! Good bye, Wil! Say farewell to Flora for me!"

"Good luck with your return back to Sacae, Lyn. We know that the trip is harder on horseback instead of pegasi." Said Wil to the dark green-haired woman.

"I'll be fine, Wil. I can take care of myself, remember?" Lyn smiled. "You take care." She embraced both tightly before swinging a leg over her horse's back.

"Good bye!" Florina waved, the horse racing away. As the hoofbeats faded off into the distance, Wil wrapped an arm around Florina and turned towards their house. Stopping just outside their doorway, they looked back outside.

Everything was so peaceful, it was hard to imagine that Elibe could have been in utter chaos if not for what they had achieved so many years ago.

"I love you, Wil." Murmured Florina, leaning against his chest.

"I love you too…" He replied, kissing her gently on the lips. Releasing her, they entered into their house and closed the door.

Etched on the beautiful dark wood was a drawing. A heart struck through with an arrow. A stray arrow.

Oh my god! It's finished! It's really the end this time. I'm amazed…

Guy: Wow, I never expected it to be this… quiet…

Matthew: Well then…

FireEdge: Anyway, I'm sure that the epilogue was unbelievably boring and probably corny (and short). But I don't really care, since this was the way I had envisioned it from the beginning. And I just _had_ to put that last line there :)

Guy: I'm _so_ sure.

FireEdge: Anyway, you're all probably wondering what I'm going to do next, right? Well, I'll be finishing up _Midnight Visit_, since I've long promised my reviewers in the ToS section that I would finish that.

Matthew: Which will take her a few months… But hopefully, she'll finish it before the summer is over.

FireEdge: And then, I'll be starting my new story. Which will be a KentLyn romance. Even though there will be a new FE game coming out in a few months, I'm adamant on finishing _at least_ one or two more multi-chaptered fics. I'm not sure why, but there's so many stories that I still want to write with this game.

Guy: Wow, that's scary… But for now, please review, and "patiently" await her new FE fics.

FireEdge: Bye for now! And thank you for sticking with me until the end!

:FireEdge:


End file.
